# PHOX2B

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/phox2b/  
OnCo record `phox2b` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

PHOX2B (Paired mesoderm homeobox protein 2B) is a protein that switches other genes on and off. In the public catalogues the evidence so far is association rather than a proven role. Tied to Skin cancer, Colorectal cancer, Lung cancer and 2 more.

## Summary

Involved in the development of several major noradrenergic neuron populations, including the locus coeruleus. Transcription factor which could determine a neurotransmitter phenotype in vertebrates. Enhances second-messenger-mediated activation of the dopamine beta-hydrolase and c-fos promoters, and of several enhancers including cAMP-response element and serum-response element.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.62 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.62, animal model 0.55, genetic association 0.02, somatic mutation 0.97).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: paired like homeobox 2B; Paired mesoderm homeobox protein 2B; NBPhox; PMX2B
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: PHOX2B
- Class: transcription
- Biology: Involved in the development of several major noradrenergic neuron populations, including the locus coeruleus. Transcription factor which could determine a neurotransmitter phenotype in vertebrates. Enhances second-messenger-mediated activation of the dopamine beta-hydrolase and c-fos promoters, and of several enhancers including cAMP-response element and serum-response element. Location: Nucleus (UniProt). Locus 4p13 (HGNC).
- Where found: Skin cancer: Open Targets association 0.56 with skin cancer (MONDO_0002898); Colorectal cancer: Open Targets association 0.53 with colorectal cancer (MONDO_0005575); Lung cancer: Open Targets association 0.52 with lung cancer (MONDO_0008903); Neuroblastoma: Open Targets association 0.63 with neuroblastoma (MONDO_0005072); Melanoma: Open Targets association 0.57 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: none stated by the sources. Evidence tier "association-only" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:9143: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:9143
- UniProt Q99453: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q99453/entry
- NCBI Gene 8929: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/8929
- Ensembl ENSG00000109132: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000109132

## Connected records

- collections: [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Lung cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/lung-cancer/), [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/), [Neuroblastoma (paediatric)](https://onco.cc/cancers/neuroblastoma/), [Skin cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/skin-cancer/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/phox2b.json