The untold stories of the speech gene, the FOXP2 cancer gene.
Le double discours du gène du langage, le gène associé au cancer FOXP2.
Résumé
FOXP2 encodes a transcription factor involved in speech and language acquisition.
Growing evidence now suggests that dysregulated FOXP2 activity may also be
instrumental in human oncogenesis, along the lines of other cardinal
developmental transcription factors such as DLX5 and DLX6 [1-4]. Several FOXP
familymembers are directly involved during cancer initiation, maintenance and
progression in the adult [5-8]. This may comprise either a pro-oncogenic activity
or a deficient tumor-suppressor role, depending upon cell types and associated
signaling pathways. While FOXP2 is expressed in numerous cell types, its
expression has been found to be down-regulated in breast cancer [9],
hepatocellular carcinoma [8] and gastric cancer biopsies [10]. Conversely,
overexpressed FOXP2 has been reported in multiple myelomas, MGUS (Monoclonal
Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance), several subtypes of lymphomas [5,11],
as well as in neuroblastomas [12] and ERG fusion-negative prostate cancers [13].
According to functional evidences reported in breast cancer [9] and survey of
recent transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of different tumor biopsies, we
postulate that FOXP2 dysregulation may play a main role throughout cancer
initiation and progression. In some cancer conditions, FOXP2 levels are now
considered as a critical diagnostic marker of neoplastic cells, and in many
situations, they even bear strong prognostic value [5]. Whether FOXP2 may further
become a therapeutic target is an actively explored lead. Knowledge reviewed here
may help improve our understanding of FOXP2 roles during oncogenesis and provide
cues for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic analyses.