NKX3.1

NKX3.1 gene is a homeobox gene regulated by androgens. Its expression product plays a crucial role in the entire development process of the prostate and is closely related to the occurrence and development of prostate cancer. Therefore, NKX3.1 is mainly used as a highly specific and sensitive diagnostic biomarker for prostate cancer in clinical practice. Meanwhile, its expression level in poorly differentiated tumors is significantly higher than that in highly differentiated tumors, which makes it helpful in evaluating the malignancy of prostate cancer. Some scholars point out that NKX3.1 may have tumor suppressive effect, and its functional deficiency is beneficial for the carcinogenesis of prostate cells. However, some studies have shown that the high expression of NKX3.1 is associated with the invasiveness of cancer cells, so the prognostic value of NKX3.1 is still inconclusive. In addition, NKX3.1 can be applied in the diagnosis of tumors such as urothelial carcinoma and salivary gland tumor, especially it is expected to become a new differential diagnostic biomarker for mesenchymal chondrosarcoma.