Dr. Jekyl-Mr. Hyde Role of Sox Family–From Neurogenesis to Cancer: A Review.

After the historic discovery of IPSCs by Shinya Yamanaka, Sox2 became a highly important factor for its crucial role in reprogramming of somatic cells. The transcriptional control of various phases of nerve cell development, which include stem-cell maintenance, glial specification and lineage-specific terminal differentiation, are not well understood. This is where Sox proteins come into play. Recently, SOX2 expression has been corroborated in several tumor types including ovarian carcinoma, which suggests an involvement of SOX2 in regulation of cancer stem cells (CSC). SOX antibodies have been categorized as specific serological markers for Small cell lung cancer. However Sox2 reduction leads to neurodegeneration. Thus understanding the expression of this protein is very important. Here is an overview of the present knowledge we possess about the functional mechanisms of SOX family, with an effort to understand the role in both development and disease.