# SUFU

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

## TL;DR

SUFU (Suppressor of fused homolog) is a gene whose normal job is to hold cell growth in check. The public catalogues list it as a drug target, a tumour suppressor and a biomarker, and clinical evidence ties its variants to diagnosis, prognosis or drug response. Tied to Skin cancer, Lung cancer, Medulloblastoma and 3 more.

## Summary

Negative regulator in the hedgehog/smoothened signalling pathway that acts by sequestering the GLI (GI1, GLI2 and GLI3) transcription factors in the cytoplasm. When smoothened signalling is initiated, GLI transcription factors dissociate from SUFU, translocate to the nucleus and activate expression of target genes. In absence of smoothened signalling, the SUFU-GLI3 complex is recruited to cilia, leading to the efficient processing of full-length GLI3 into transcription repressor GLI3R: SUFU participates to GLI3 processing by promoting recruitment of GSK3B to GLI3.

CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence item and 0 assertions across 1 variant, naming Sonidegib. Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.71 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.92, animal model 0.54, genetic association 0.34, somatic mutation 0.88). IntOGen calls it a driver in 1 cohort (0 activating, 1 loss-of-function), covering Pilocytic Astrocytoma.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: SUFU negative regulator of hedgehog signaling; Suppressor of fused homolog; SUFUH; SUFUXL; PRO1280
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: SUFU
- Class: tumor-suppressor
- Biology: Negative regulator in the hedgehog/smoothened signalling pathway that acts by sequestering the GLI (GI1, GLI2 and GLI3) transcription factors in the cytoplasm. When smoothened signalling is initiated, GLI transcription factors dissociate from SUFU, translocate to the nucleus and activate expression of target genes. In absence of smoothened signalling, the SUFU-GLI3 complex is recruited to cilia, leading to the efficient processing of full-length GLI3 into transcription repressor GLI3R: SUFU participates to GLI3 processing by promoting recruitment of GSK3B to GLI3. May also act as a negative regulator of beta-catenin signalling. Required for normal embryonic development. Required for the proper formation of hair follicles and the control of epidermal differentiation. Location: Cytoplasm; Nucleus; Cell projection, cilium (UniProt). Locus 10q24.32 (HGNC).
- Where found: Skin cancer: Open Targets association 0.57 with skin cancer (MONDO_0002898); Lung cancer: Open Targets association 0.51 with lung cancer (MONDO_0008903); Medulloblastoma: Open Targets association 0.80 with medulloblastoma (MONDO_0007959); CIViC evidence names this disease; Meningioma: Open Targets association 0.72 with meningioma (MONDO_0016642); Paediatric low-grade glioma: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (PAST); Melanoma: Open Targets association 0.54 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: CIViC lists 1 therapies; 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:16466: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:16466
- UniProt Q9UMX1: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q9UMX1/entry
- NCBI Gene 51684: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/51684
- Ensembl ENSG00000107882: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000107882

## 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: [Lung cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/lung-cancer/), [Medulloblastoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/medulloblastoma/), [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/), [Meningioma](https://onco.cc/cancers/meningioma/), [Paediatric low-grade glioma](https://onco.cc/cancers/paediatric-low-grade-glioma/), [Skin cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/skin-cancer/)
- pathways: [Basal cell carcinoma (KEGG map)](https://onco.cc/pathways/basal-cell-carcinoma-signalling/), [Hedgehog signalling](https://onco.cc/pathways/hedgehog/)

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