Functional roles and clinical potential of SOX1 in cancer as a biomarker and therapeutic target

Malignant neoplastic diseases currently constitute a substantial global health burden. As a class of highly pathologically heterogeneous and complex disorders, addressing malignant tumors necessitates multifaceted efforts across various levels. SOX1, a member of the SOX transcription factor family B subgroup, plays a pivotal role in transcriptional activation during embryonic neurogenesis. Growing evidence indicates that SOX1 also contributes to tumor initiation and progression through multiple mechanisms. While SOX1 exhibits context-dependent functions, its tumor-suppressive action in epithelial cancers frequently involves direct antagonism of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and downregulation of targets like c-MYC and Cyclin D1. This review synthesizes current insights into the gene function of SOX1 and its roles within oncogenic signaling pathways, which are frequently subject to regulation by epigenetic modifications. The authors further evaluate the potential of SOX1 as a biomarker and therapeutic target in cancer diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and associated complications. Although the functional heterogeneity of SOX1 presents challenges for clinical application, therapeutic modulation of its upstream and downstream pathways, as well as methylation-based assays for early detection, remain clinically promising.