HOX proteins and leukemia.

HOX and three amino acid loop extension (TALE) proteins cooperate to induce transformation in mouse leukemia models, and are dysregulated in a variety of human leukemias. Despite decades of research, the mechanism of action for Hox proteins in embryogenesis and hematopoiesis remains unclear. Recent studies on the roles of Hoxa9 and Meis1 in leukemia has led to a wealth of new data, but their molecular mechanisms of action and synergy remain obscure. Advances in genome-wide technologies offer new avenues for understanding how homeodomain-containing transcription factors exert their programs in normal and neoplastic development.