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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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HOXC6
homeobox C6
Chromosome 12 · 12q13.13
NCBI Gene: 3223Ensembl: ENSG00000197757.8HGNC: HGNC:5128UniProt: P09630
61PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Transcription Factor
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
nucleoplasmDNA-binding transcription factor activity, RNA polymerase II-specificRNA polymerase II cis-regulatory region sequence-specific DNA bindingregulation of transcription by RNA polymerase IIneurodegenerative diseaseAbnormality of the skeletal systemalcohol drinkinghypertension
✦AI Summary

HOXC6 is a sequence-specific transcription factor that functions as a developmental master gene controlling anterior-posterior axis patterning and cell differentiation 1. The HOXC6 gene produces two protein isoforms sharing a conserved DNA-binding homeodomain but differing in their N-terminal regions, enabling both transcriptional activation and repression depending on cellular context and interactions with other HOX family members and co-factors 1. During normal development, HOXC6 expression is upregulated during neuroblast differentiation induced by retinoic acid and cyclic AMP 2. In cancer pathology, HOXC6 functions as an oncogene across multiple malignancies. In colorectal cancer, HOXC6 overexpression promotes metastasis in microsatellite instability-high tumors by upregulating CCL2 to recruit M2 macrophages, which subsequently induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition and T-cell exhaustion 3. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, HOXC6 increases Bcl-2 expression via TAAT motifs in the Bcl-2 promoter, enhancing anti-apoptotic signaling and chemotherapy resistance 4. HOXC6 overexpression correlates with poor prognosis and reduced migration in HNSCC through dysregulation of E2F and G2M cell cycle checkpoints 5. In hepatocellular carcinoma and multiple myeloma, HOXC6 knockdown suppresses proliferation, migration, and inflammatory pathways via NF-κB inactivation 6 7. In BRAFV600E colorectal cancer, HOXC6 regulates MYC expression and contributes to treatment resistance 8. These findings establish HOXC6 as a promising therapeutic target across solid and hematologic malignancies.

Sources cited
1
HOXC6 is a sequence-specific transcription factor that functions as a developmental master gene controlling anterior-posterior axis patterning and cell differentiation .
PMID: 9695021
2
During normal development, HOXC6 expression is upregulated during neuroblast differentiation induced by retinoic acid and cyclic AMP .
PMID: 7501971
3
In colorectal cancer, HOXC6 overexpression promotes metastasis in microsatellite instability-high tumors by upregulating CCL2 to recruit M2 macrophages, which subsequently induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition and T-cell exhaustion .
PMID: 40186205
4
In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, HOXC6 increases Bcl-2 expression via TAAT motifs in the Bcl-2 promoter, enhancing anti-apoptotic signaling and chemotherapy resistance .
PMID: 22896703
5
HOXC6 overexpression correlates with poor prognosis and reduced migration in HNSCC through dysregulation of E2F and G2M cell cycle checkpoints .
PMID: 41521225
6
In hepatocellular carcinoma and multiple myeloma, HOXC6 knockdown suppresses proliferation, migration, and inflammatory pathways via NF-κB inactivation .
PMID: 28042500
7
In hepatocellular carcinoma and multiple myeloma, HOXC6 knockdown suppresses proliferation, migration, and inflammatory pathways via NF-κB inactivation .
PMID: 37202556
8
In BRAFV600E colorectal cancer, HOXC6 regulates MYC expression and contributes to treatment resistance .
PMID: 39800382
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.54Moderate
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.40Weak
alcohol drinkingOpen Targets
0.34Weak
hypertensionOpen Targets
0.28Weak
osteoporosisOpen Targets
0.25Weak
diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.23Weak
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.23Weak
type 2 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.22Weak
goutOpen Targets
0.20Weak
cardiovascular diseaseOpen Targets
0.19Weak
smoking behaviorOpen Targets
0.14Weak
bone diseaseOpen Targets
0.12Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.11Weak
gliomaOpen Targets
0.10Weak
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Weak
glioblastoma multiformeOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
response to xenobiotic stimulusOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
oral squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
esophageal squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
HES4Shared pathway100%HOXA6Protein interaction92%HOXB6Protein interaction92%HOXC5Protein interaction92%HOXC9Protein interaction88%HOXA5Protein interaction86%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Ovary
100%
Lung
3%
Heart
1%
Brain
0%
Liver
0%
Bone Marrow
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
HOXC6HES4HOXA6HOXB6HOXC5HOXC9HOXA5
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt P09630
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.67LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.42Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.39 [0.24–0.67]
RankingsWhere HOXC6 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #7,565of 20,598
    Most Researched61
  • #4,934of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.67
Genes detectedHOXC6
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
The HOXC6 homeodomain-containing proteins.
PMID: 9695021
Int J Biochem Cell Biol · 1998
1.00
2
HOXC6 promotes the metastasis of MSI-H CRC by interacting with M2 macrophages and inducing effector T cell exhaustion.
PMID: 40186205
Cell Commun Signal · 2025
0.90
3
HOXC6 is deregulated in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and modulates Bcl-2 expression.
PMID: 22896703
J Biol Chem · 2012
0.80
4
HDAC and MEK inhibition synergistically suppresses HOXC6 and enhances PD-1 blockade efficacy in BRAF
PMID: 39800382
J Immunother Cancer · 2025
0.70
5
MicroRNA-147 suppresses human hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation migration and chemosensitivity by inhibiting HOXC6.
PMID: 28042500
Am J Cancer Res · 2016
0.60