# BCL11B

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/bcl11b/  
OnCo record `bcl11b` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

BCL11B (B-cell lymphoma/leukaemia 11B) is a gene that drives cell growth when it is altered. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver, and it is called a cancer driver by mutation analysis of patient cohorts. Tied to Vulvar cancer, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Skin cancer and 5 more.

## Summary

Key regulator of both differentiation and survival of T-lymphocytes during thymocyte development in mammals. Essential in controlling the responsiveness of haematopoietic stem cells to chemotactic signals by modulating the expression of the receptors CCR7 and CCR9, which direct the movement of progenitor cells from the bone marrow to the thymus. Is a regulator of IL2 promoter and enhances IL2 expression in activated CD4(+) T-lymphocytes.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.73 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.94, animal model 0.46, genetic association 0.55, somatic mutation 0.86). IntOGen calls it a driver in 3 cohorts (3 activating, 0 loss-of-function), covering Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, NOS, Glioblastoma Multiforme, Vulva/Vagina.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: BCL11 transcription factor B; B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 11B; CTIP-2; CTIP2; hRIT1-alpha; SMARCM2; ZNF856B
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: BCL11B
- Class: oncogene
- Biology: Key regulator of both differentiation and survival of T-lymphocytes during thymocyte development in mammals. Essential in controlling the responsiveness of haematopoietic stem cells to chemotactic signals by modulating the expression of the receptors CCR7 and CCR9, which direct the movement of progenitor cells from the bone marrow to the thymus. Is a regulator of IL2 promoter and enhances IL2 expression in activated CD4(+) T-lymphocytes. Tumour-suppressor that represses transcription through direct, TFCOUP2-independent binding to a GC-rich response element. May also function in the P53-signalling pathway. Location: Nucleus (UniProt). Locus 14q32.2 (HGNC).
- Where found: Vulvar cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (VULVA); Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Open Targets association 0.56 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (MONDO_0018908); Skin cancer: Open Targets association 0.56 with skin cancer (MONDO_0002898); Leukaemia: Open Targets association 0.53 with leukaemia (MONDO_0005059); Breast cancer: Open Targets association 0.52 with breast cancer (MONDO_0007254); Colorectal cancer: Open Targets association 0.51 with colorectal cancer (MONDO_0005575)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: IntOGen calls it an activating (Act) driver in 3 cohorts. Evidence tier "cohort-driver" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:13222: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:13222
- UniProt Q9C0K0: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q9C0K0/entry
- NCBI Gene 64919: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/64919
- Ensembl ENSG00000127152: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000127152

## Connected records

- collections: [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/), [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/), [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/dlbcl/), [Leukaemia (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/), [Lung cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/lung-cancer/), [Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/), [Skin cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/skin-cancer/), [Vulvar cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/vulvar/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/bcl11b.json