Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40952541›Full record

ReviewDiscover oncology2025

The multifaceted roles of ZIC genes in cancer: from development regulators to cancer modulators.

Dina Hesham, Shahenda El-Naggar

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Discover oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Dina HeshamTumor Biology Research Program, Basic Research Unit, Research Department, Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt 57357, 1 Sekket El Emam, El Madbah El Kadeem Yard, Sayeda Zeinab, Cairo, Egypt.
Shahenda El-NaggarTumor Biology Research Program, Basic Research Unit, Research Department, Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt 57357, 1 Sekket El Emam, El Madbah El Kadeem Yard, Sayeda Zeinab, Cairo, Egypt. shahenda.elnaggar@57357.org.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6465-9881

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

ZIC genes, which endcode zinc finger transcription factors, are recognized for their foundational roles in vertebrate development and have been increasingly been implicated in various aspects of cancer biology. Initially identified for their critical contributions to cerebellum development and neural patterning, ZIC genes have been found to influence a wide range of cellular processes. This review describes the structural attributes of ZIC genes, their biological functions during development, and their roles in cancer pathogenesis. Recent findings highlight the possibility of a dual nature of ZIC genes in oncogenesis, harboring oncogene or tumor suppressor activities depending on the cancer type and cellular context. We also explored the impact of epigenetic modifications and expression alterations of ZIC genes on tumor behavior, detailing their involvement in key oncogenic pathways including the sonic hedgehog, Wnt/β-Catenin, TGF-β, PI3K/AKT, and MAPK pathways. In conclusion, we aim to provide a better understanding of their complex roles in cancer, opening avenues for targeted therapeutic strategies and advancing diagnostic and prognostic evaluations across various cancers.

Indexed as

CancerDevelopmentEpigenetic regulationTranscription factorsZIC genesZinc finger

Identifiers

PMID40952541
PMCPMC12436243

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.