# TCF3

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/tcf3/  
OnCo record `tcf3` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

TCF3 (Transcription factor E2-alpha) is a protein that switches other genes on and off. The public catalogues list it as a biomarker and a fusion partner, and clinical evidence ties its variants to diagnosis, prognosis or drug response. Tied to Leukaemia, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Lung cancer and 3 more.

## Summary

Transcriptional regulator involved in the initiation of neuronal differentiation and mesenchymal to epithelial transition. Heterodimers between TCF3 and tissue-specific basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins play major roles in determining tissue-specific cell fate during embryogenesis, like muscle or early B-cell differentiation. Together with TCF15, required for the mesenchymal to epithelial transition.

CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence item and 0 assertions across 1 variant. Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.65 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.96, genetic association 0.00, somatic mutation 0.83).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: transcription factor 3; Transcription factor E2-alpha; E2A; ITF1; MGC129647; MGC129648; bHLHb21; E47; p75
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: TCF3
- Class: transcription
- Biology: Transcriptional regulator involved in the initiation of neuronal differentiation and mesenchymal to epithelial transition. Heterodimers between TCF3 and tissue-specific basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins play major roles in determining tissue-specific cell fate during embryogenesis, like muscle or early B-cell differentiation. Together with TCF15, required for the mesenchymal to epithelial transition. Dimers bind DNA on E-box motifs: 5'-CANNTG-3'. Binds to the kappa-E2 site in the kappa immunoglobulin gene enhancer. Binds to IEB1 and IEB2, which are short DNA sequences in the insulin gene transcription control region. Location: Nucleus (UniProt). Locus 19p13.3 (HGNC).
- Where found: Leukaemia: Open Targets association 0.61 with leukaemia (MONDO_0005059); Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Open Targets association 0.61 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (MONDO_0018908); Lung cancer: Open Targets association 0.53 with lung cancer (MONDO_0008903); Burkitt lymphoma: CIViC evidence names this disease; Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: Open Targets association 0.58 with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (MONDO_0004967); Non-small-cell lung cancer: Open Targets association 0.51 with non-small cell lung carcinoma (MONDO_0005233)

## 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 holds 1 clinical evidence items on its variants; UniProt disease notes describe a translocation or gene fusion involving the gene. Evidence tier "clinical-evidence" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:11633: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:11633
- UniProt P15923: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P15923/entry
- NCBI Gene 6929: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6929
- Ensembl ENSG00000071564: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000071564

## Connected records

- collections: [CIViC](https://onco.cc/collections/civic/), [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-leukemia/), [Burkitt lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/burkitt-lymphoma/), [Leukaemia (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/), [Lung cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/lung-cancer/), [Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/), [Non-small-cell lung cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/nsclc/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/tcf3.json