# KLF4

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/klf4/  
OnCo record `klf4` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

KLF4 (Krueppel-like factor 4) is a protein that switches other genes on and off. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver, a tumour suppressor and a biomarker, and clinical evidence ties its variants to diagnosis, prognosis or drug response. Tied to Breast cancer, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Skin cancer and 3 more.

## Summary

Transcription factor; can act both as activator and as repressor. Binds the 5'-CACCC-3' core sequence. Binds to the promoter region of its own gene and can activate its own transcription.

CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence item and 0 assertions across 1 variant. Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.70 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 1.00, animal model 0.47, genetic association 0.57, somatic mutation 0.82). IntOGen calls it a driver in 5 cohorts (3 activating, 1 loss-of-function), covering Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, Invasive Breast Carcinoma, Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: KLF transcription factor 4; Krueppel-like factor 4
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: KLF4
- Class: transcription
- Biology: Transcription factor; can act both as activator and as repressor. Binds the 5'-CACCC-3' core sequence. Binds to the promoter region of its own gene and can activate its own transcription. Regulates the expression of key transcription factors during embryonic development. Plays an important role in maintaining embryonic stem cells, and in preventing their differentiation. Required for establishing the barrier function of the skin and for postnatal maturation and maintenance of the ocular surface. Location: Nucleus; Cytoplasm (UniProt). Locus 9q31.2 (HGNC).
- Where found: Breast cancer: Open Targets association 0.56 with breast cancer (MONDO_0007254); IntOGen driver in 3 cohorts (BRCA); Hepatocellular carcinoma: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (HCC); Skin cancer: Open Targets association 0.51 with skin cancer (MONDO_0002898); Prostate cancer: Open Targets association 0.50 with prostate cancer (MONDO_0008315); Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (ALL); Melanoma: Open Targets association 0.51 with melanoma (MONDO_0005105)

## 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; IntOGen calls it a loss-of-function (LoF) driver in 1 cohort; CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence items on its variants. Evidence tier "clinical-evidence" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:6348: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:6348
- UniProt O43474: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/O43474/entry
- NCBI Gene 9314: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/9314
- Ensembl ENSG00000136826: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000136826

## Connected records

- collections: [CIViC](https://onco.cc/collections/civic/), [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/), [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-leukemia/), [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/), [Hepatocellular carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/hcc/), [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/), [Prostate cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/prostate/), [Skin cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/skin-cancer/)

---
JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/klf4.json