Transcriptional Regulation in Epithelial Development and Cancer
Summary
Epithelial tissues form protective barriers and enable essential functions such as absorption and secretion. Their formation and maintenance rely on finely tuned transcriptional programmes controlled by networks of transcription factors, regulatory DNA elements and epigenetic modifiers. During development, pioneer factors bind condensed chromatin to establish cell-type-specific enhancers, while histone modifications and chromatin remodelling complexes coordinate genome architecture and accessibility. Signalling pathways including Notch, Wnt and TGFβ converge on these regulatory circuits to balance progenitor cell renewal, stratification and terminal differentiation. In cancer, disruption of these networks leads to aberrant gene expression programmes that endow cells with stem-like properties, drive epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and promote invasive behaviour. Tumourigenesis often involves remodelling of enhancer landscapes, including the formation of super-enhancers that amplify oncogenic drivers. A deeper understanding of transcriptional regulation in normal epithelial biology and its deregulation in malignancy offers new avenues for regenerative medicine, epigenetic therapies and targeted intervention. Advances in genome-wide chromatin mapping and single-cell transcriptomics continue to reveal the dynamic interplay between transcription factors, chromatin state and signalling in both health and disease.
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Transcriptional Regulation in Epithelial Development and Cancer publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in transcriptional regulation in epithelial development and cancer across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Transcription factor: A protein that binds specific DNA sequences to regulate gene expression by recruiting cofactors and transcriptional machinery.
Enhancer: A regulatory DNA element that increases transcription of associated genes, often located distally and interacting via chromatin looping.
Chromatin accessibility: The degree to which DNA is exposed and available for transcription factor binding, influenced by nucleosome positioning and histone modifications.
Pioneer factor: A transcription factor capable of binding condensed chromatin and initiating local remodelling to permit subsequent regulatory protein access.
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT): A process by which epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal traits, losing polarity and adhesion to gain migratory and invasive capacities.
Super-enhancer: A cluster of highly active enhancers that drive robust expression of genes critical for cell identity or disease states.
References
- ΔNp63α facilitates proliferation and migration, and modulates the chromatin landscape in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cells. Cell Death & Disease (2023).
- ΔNp63 bookmarks and creates an accessible epigenetic environment for TGFβ-induced cancer cell stemness and invasiveness. Cell Communication and Signaling (2024).
- p63: a crucial player in epithelial stemness regulation. Oncogene (2023).
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