# MAF

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

## TL;DR

MAF (Transcription factor Maf) is a gene that drives cell growth when it is altered. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver and a fusion partner, and it is called a cancer driver by mutation analysis of patient cohorts. Tied to Colorectal cancer and Multiple myeloma.

## Summary

Acts as a transcriptional activator or repressor. Involved in embryonic lens fibre cell development. Recruits the transcriptional coactivators CREBBP and/or EP300 to crystallin promoters leading to up-regulation of crystallin gene during lens fibre cell differentiation.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.73 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes affected pathway 0.38, literature 0.82, genetic association 0.54, somatic mutation 0.81, animal model 0.76). IntOGen calls it a driver in 1 cohort (1 activating, 0 loss-of-function), covering Plasma Cell Myeloma.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: MAF bZIP transcription factor; Transcription factor Maf; c-MAF
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: MAF
- Class: oncogene
- Biology: Acts as a transcriptional activator or repressor. Involved in embryonic lens fibre cell development. Recruits the transcriptional coactivators CREBBP and/or EP300 to crystallin promoters leading to up-regulation of crystallin gene during lens fibre cell differentiation. Activates the expression of IL4 in T helper 2 (Th2) cells. Increases T-cell susceptibility to apoptosis by interacting with MYB and decreasing BCL2 expression. Together with PAX6, transactivates strongly the glucagon gene promoter through the G1 element. Location: Nucleus (UniProt). Locus 16q23.2 (HGNC).
- Where found: Colorectal cancer: Open Targets association 0.59 with colorectal cancer (MONDO_0005575); Multiple myeloma: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (PCM)

## 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 1 cohort; UniProt disease notes describe a translocation or gene fusion involving the gene. Evidence tier "cohort-driver" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:6776: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:6776
- UniProt O75444: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/O75444/entry
- NCBI Gene 4094: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/4094
- Ensembl ENSG00000178573: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000178573

## Connected records

- collections: [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/), [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Multiple myeloma](https://onco.cc/cancers/multiple-myeloma/)

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