Hox proteins in development and neoplasia

Some of the oncogenes that we study code for products that are involved in different aspects of Hox gene regulation or Hox protein function.  Hox proteins comprise a distinctive class of transcription factors that are critical determinants of axial patterning during embryogenesis and are also implicated in the regulation of hematopoietic cell differentiation.  Our ongoing studies address gaps in current knowledge regarding how these master regulatory proteins function at a molecular level and how their perturbations lead to cancer.