HomeAboutRankingsData Sources
© 2026 GeneE
🧬
GeneE
10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
ⓘGeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
HOXB3
homeobox B3
Chromosome 17 · 17q21.32
NCBI Gene: 3213Ensembl: ENSG00000120093.13HGNC: HGNC:5114UniProt: B3KNJ7
47PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Transcription Factor
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
angiogenesisRNA polymerase II cis-regulatory region sequence-specific DNA bindingDNA-binding transcription activator activity, RNA polymerase II-specificnucleoplasmneurodegenerative diseasedenturesobesitychronic ulcer of skin
✦AI Summary

HOXB3 is a sequence-specific transcription factor that functions as a developmental regulator providing cells with anterior-posterior positional identity 1. It contains a homeodomain that binds DNA at conserved TAATTA consensus sequences and positively regulates target genes including Otx2 1. Beyond developmental roles in embryonic skeletal system morphogenesis and angiogenesis, HOXB3 has emerged as a critical oncogenic factor in multiple cancers. In castration-resistant prostate cancer, elevated HOXB3 independently predicts PSA progression and death by driving WNT pathway activation and abiraterone resistance 2. In ovarian cancer, HOXB3 overexpression is associated with chemotherapy resistance through a STUB1/HOXB3/PARK7 axis, where HOXB3 transcriptionally activates PARK7 to suppress ferroptosis 3. HOXB3 expression elevation correlates with reduced platinum sensitivity and diminished chemotherapy-induced reactive oxygen species in high-grade serous ovarian cancer, with HOXA4/HOXB3 co-expression predicting poor progression-free survival 4. In glioblastoma, HOXB3 forms transcriptional condensates that drive oncogenic super-enhancer activity, and disrupting HOXB3 condensation with peptide inhibitors reduces tumorigenicity in patient-derived xenografts 5. These findings suggest HOXB3 as a therapeutic target across multiple malignancies.

Sources cited
1
HOXB3 promotes PARK7 transcription; STUB1-mediated HOXB3 ubiquitination suppresses paclitaxel resistance in ovarian cancer through the HOXB3/PARK7 axis and ferroptosis regulation
PMID: 39501077
2
HOXB3 elevation is an independent risk factor for PSA progression and death in metastatic CRPC; HOXB3 drives WNT pathway activation and abiraterone resistance as a downstream WNT transcription factor
PMID: 36973255
3
HOXB3 identified as a spatially-resolved marker of low-grade dysplasia in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms
PMID: 38553466
4
HOXB3 is upregulated during normal-MDS-AML transition in mesenchymal stem cells; HOXB3 blocking enhances proliferation, inhibits apoptosis, and restores hematopoietic support function
PMID: 38254070
5
HOXB3 forms heterogeneous condensation states in glioblastoma core regulatory circuitry; peptide-based disruption of HOXB3 condensation reduces tumorigenicity in patient-derived xenograft models
PMID: 41028837
6
HOXA4/HOXB3 overexpression predicts shorter progression-free survival in high-grade serous ovarian cancer; HOXB3 overexpression decreases cisplatin sensitivity and attenuates ROS accumulation
PMID: 29402501
7
HOXB3 is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor that positively regulates Otx2 gene upstream sequences by binding conserved TAATTA palindromic sites
PMID: 9556594
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.35Weak
denturesOpen Targets
0.23Weak
obesityOpen Targets
0.15Weak
chronic ulcer of skinOpen Targets
0.13Weak
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.12Weak
overnutritionOpen Targets
0.12Weak
migraine disorderOpen Targets
0.12Weak
thoracic aortic aneurysmOpen Targets
0.11Weak
acute myeloid leukemiaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
dental cariesOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
glioblastoma multiformeOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
hypertensionOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
aortic aneurysmOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
central nervous system cancerOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Increased blood pressureOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
motion sicknessOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
cleft lipOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
gliomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
HOXA3Shared pathway100%HOXB5Protein interaction91%PBX1Protein interaction91%HOXB6Protein interaction89%HOXB2Protein interaction87%HOXB4Protein interaction75%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Lung
100%
Brain
96%
Liver
24%
Heart
12%
Bone Marrow
7%
Ovary
6%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
HOXB3HOXA3HOXB5PBX1HOXB6HOXB2HOXB4
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt P14651
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.96LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.64 [0.44–0.96]
RankingsWhere HOXB3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #9,218of 20,598
    Most Researched47
  • #9,135of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.96
Genes detectedHOXB3
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
STUB1 suppresses paclitaxel resistance in ovarian cancer through mediating HOXB3 ubiquitination to inhibit PARK7 expression.
PMID: 39501077
Commun Biol · 2024
1.00
2
Derivation of enteric neuron lineages from human pluripotent stem cells.
PMID: 30911172
Nat Protoc · 2019
0.90
3
Identification of spatially-resolved markers of malignant transformation in Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms.
PMID: 38553466
Nat Commun · 2024
0.80
4
HOXB3 drives WNT-activation associated progression in castration-resistant prostate cancer.
PMID: 36973255
Cell Death Dis · 2023
0.70
5
Sequential gene expression analysis of myelodysplastic syndrome transformation identifies HOXB3 and HOXB7 as the novel targets for mesenchymal cells in disease.
PMID: 38254070
BMC Cancer · 2024
0.60