ABSTRACT
Introduction
Cholangiocarcinoma consists of a cluster of malignant biliary tumors that tend to have a poor prognosis, ranking as the second most prevalent type of liver cancer, and their incidence rate has increased globally recently. The high-frequency driving mutations of cholangiocarcinoma, such as KRAS/IDH1/ARID1A/P53, imply the epigenetic instability of cholangiocarcinoma, leading to the dysregulation of various related transcription factors, thus affecting the occurrence and development of cholangiocarcinoma. Increasingly evidence indicates that the high heterogeneity and malignancy of cholangiocarcinoma are closely related to the dysregulation of transcription factors which promote cell proliferation, invasion, migration, angiogenesis, and drug resistance through reprogrammed transcriptional networks. It is of great significance to further explore and summarize the role of transcription factors in cholangiocarcinoma.
Areas covered
This review summarizes the oncogenic or tumor suppressive roles of key transcription factors in regulating cholangiocarcinoma progression and the potential targeting strategies of transcription factors in cholangiocarcinoma.
Expert opinion
Cholangiocarcinoma is a type of cancer highly influenced by transcriptional regulation, specifically transcription factors and epigenetic regulatory factors. Targeting transcription factors could be a potential and important strategy that is likely to impact future cholangiocarcinoma treatment.
Article highlights
The high-frequency driving mutations of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) suggest the epigenetic instability of CCA, leading to the dysregulation of various related transcription factors (TFs).
TFs are not only affected by gene mutations but also closely related to epigenetic modulation in CCA.
Oncogenic TFs in CCA have often activated abnormally and further drive pivotal events of CCA by affecting the transcription of downstream target genes or the activity of related signaling pathways.
Tumor suppressor TF in CCA is often mutated or have a low expression.
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List of Abbreviations
Declaration of interest
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
Reviewer disclosures
Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.