Kruppel-Like Factor 4: From Physiological Functions to Tumor Therapy

摘要

Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a zinc finger transcription factor that can regulate diverse cellular physiological functions such as cell growth, death, differentiation, and migration. Recent studies have suggested that KLF4 can act as either a suppressor or oncogene for different types of cancers, ranging from solid tumors to leukemia, by regulating target genes involved in tumor cell proliferation, survival, metastasis, invasiveness, and the constitution of the tumor microenvironment. In most cancer types, KLF4 has shown the ability to inhibit tumor progression, thus raising the possibility that it may be a novel target for multiple types of cancer, including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which lacks targeted drugs in clinical practice. A better understanding of the role of KLF4 in tumorigenesis will facilitate the application of this potential molecular target for tumor therapy.