ZNF282 is a zinc finger transcription factor that functions as a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein with dual regulatory roles in viral suppression and cancer promotion. Originally characterized for binding the U5 repressive element of HTLV-1 LTR to suppress viral expression 1, ZNF282 has emerged as a critical oncogenic transcription factor across multiple cancer types. In esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, ZNF282 acts as an E2F1 co-activator to promote cell cycle progression and tumor growth, with high expression serving as an independent poor prognostic marker 1. In colorectal cancer, ZNF282 promotes progression via E2F1 activation, enhancing G1/S transition and upregulating downstream targets CCNE1 and CCND1; high expression correlates with distant metastasis and poor prognosis 2. Additionally, the LINC02878/ZNF282/PYCR2 axis drives proline biosynthesis and metabolic reprogramming in colorectal cancer 3. ZNF282 also functions as a selective glucocorticoid receptor coregulator, modulating hormone-regulated gene expression in a pathway-specific manner 4. Beyond cancer, ZNF282 serves as a semen-specific methylation marker in forensic analysis 5 and as a transcription factor component in prognostic signatures for adrenocortical carcinoma 6 and hepatocellular carcinoma progression 7. Recent evidence demonstrates ZNF282's role in regulating milk fatty acid biosynthesis through selective binding to SNP variants 8.