HMBOX1, a member of the homeobox family: current research progress

Homeobox containing 1 (HMBOX1) is a transcription factor that was identified in 2006 from a cDNA library of the human pancreas. It belongs to the HNF gene class of the homeobox family. HMBOX1 is widely expressed in normal human tissues; however, its expression level is rather uneven. Homeobox members have been widely reported to participate in embryonic development and differentiation as well as in pathological and physiological processes. Although research on the role of HMBOX1 is still in its infancy, many reports have revealed its regulatory role in cell differentiation, immune regulation, inflammation, and tumor progression. HMBOX1 plays an important role in promoting the differentiation of bone marrow stromal stem cells (BMSCs) into endothelial cells and contributes to their physiological functions. As an immunoregulatory factor, HMBOX1 can significantly inhibit the inflammatory response in hepatocytes and NK cells and impede the infiltration of peripheral immune cells to the liver. In tumor development, HMBOX1 exerts diametrically opposite biological functions, inhibiting or promoting the process. HMBOX1 possesses complex and diverse biological functions. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the research on HMBOX1.