ZBTB7C is a zinc finger transcription factor with context-dependent roles in gene regulation and disease. As a transcriptional repressor, ZBTB7C forms a complex with c-Jun and NCoR/Hdac3 to repress matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) genes (-8, -10, -13, and -16) 1. ZBTB7C knockout mice develop emphysema-like phenotypes with elevated MMP expression and exacerbated disease upon cigarette smoke exposure, indicating its protective role in lung tissue homeostasis 2. During fasting, ZBTB7C acts as a gluconeogenic activator, binding insulin response elements in G6pc and Pck1 promoters via Hdac3 interaction to increase blood glucose 3. In cancer contexts, ZBTB7C exhibits oncogenic properties. It promotes glutamine metabolism in rapidly proliferating cells by activating GLS1 transcription, supporting tumor growth 4. Genetic variants in ZBTB7C are associated with increased ischemic stroke infarct volume in both mice and humans, with ZBTB7C upregulation in endothelial cells following ischemia 5. In osteosarcoma, ZBTB7C acts as an oncogenic protein whose expression is enhanced through m6A methylation by METTL3 6 and via lncRNA TUG1-mediated miR-26a-5p suppression 7. Across cancer types, ZBTB7C expression correlates with immune cell infiltration and patient prognosis, with higher expression predicting better survival in colorectal cancer, esophageal carcinoma, and mesothelioma 8.