# TBX3

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/tbx3/  
OnCo record `tbx3` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

TBX3 (T-box transcription factor TBX3) is a protein that switches other genes on and off. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver and a tumour suppressor, and it is called a cancer driver by mutation analysis of patient cohorts. Tied to Breast cancer, Colorectal cancer, Skin cancer and 3 more.

## Summary

Transcriptional repressor involved in developmental processes. Binds to the palindromic T site 5'-TTCACACCTAGGTGTGAA-3' DNA sequence, or a half-site, which are present in the regulatory region of several genes. Probably plays a role in limb pattern formation.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.80 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes affected pathway 0.30, literature 0.98, genetic association 0.73, somatic mutation 0.95, animal model 0.55). IntOGen calls it a driver in 8 cohorts (4 activating, 4 loss-of-function), covering Invasive Breast Carcinoma, Colorectal Adenocarcinoma, Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, NOS.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: T-box transcription factor 3; T-box transcription factor TBX3; TBX3-ISO
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: TBX3
- Class: transcription
- Biology: Transcriptional repressor involved in developmental processes. Binds to the palindromic T site 5'-TTCACACCTAGGTGTGAA-3' DNA sequence, or a half-site, which are present in the regulatory region of several genes. Probably plays a role in limb pattern formation. Required for mammary placode induction, and maintenance of the mammary buds during development. Involved in branching morphogenesis in both developing lungs and adult mammary glands, via negative modulation of target genes; acting redundantly with TBX2. Required, together with TBX2, to maintain cell proliferation in the embryonic lung mesenchyme; perhaps acting downstream of SHH, BMP and TGFbeta signalling. Location: Nucleus (UniProt). Locus 12q24.21 (HGNC).
- Where found: Breast cancer: Open Targets association 0.75 with breast cancer (MONDO_0007254); IntOGen driver in 5 cohorts (BRCA); Colorectal cancer: Open Targets association 0.62 with colorectal cancer (MONDO_0005575); IntOGen driver in 2 cohorts (COADREAD); Skin cancer: Open Targets association 0.59 with skin cancer (MONDO_0002898); Prostate cancer: Open Targets association 0.52 with prostate cancer (MONDO_0008315); Melanoma: Open Targets association 0.59 with melanoma (MONDO_0005105); Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (DLBCLNOS)

## 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 4 cohorts; IntOGen calls it a loss-of-function (LoF) driver in 4 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:11602: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:11602
- UniProt O15119: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/O15119/entry
- NCBI Gene 6926: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6926
- Ensembl ENSG00000135111: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000135111

## 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/), [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/), [Prostate cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/prostate/), [Skin cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/skin-cancer/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/tbx3.json