Novel role of sex-determining region Y-box 7 (SOX7) in tumor biology and cardiovascular developmental biology

The sex-determining region Y-box 7 (Sox7) is an important member of the SOX F family, which is characterized by a high-mobility-group DNA-binding domain. Previous studies have demonstrated the role of SOX7 in cardiovascular development. SOX7 expression could be detected in normal adult tissues. Furthermore, the expression levels of SOX7 were different in different tumors. Most studies showed the downregulation of SOX7 in tumors, while some studies reported its upregulation in tumors. In this review, we first summarized the upstream regulators (including transcription factors, microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and some exogenous regulators) and downstream molecules (including factors in the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway and some other signaling pathways) of SOX7. Then, the roles of SOX7 in multiple tumors were presented. Finally, the significance of divergent SOX7 expression during cardiovascular development was briefly discussed. The information compiled in this study characterized SOX7 during tumorigenesis and cardiovascular development, which should facilitate the design of future research and promote SOX7 as a therapeutic target.