# TCF7L2

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/tcf7l2/  
OnCo record `tcf7l2` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

TCF7L2 (Transcription factor 7-like 2) is a gene whose normal job is to hold cell growth in check. The public catalogues list it as a tumour suppressor, and it is called a cancer driver by mutation analysis of patient cohorts. Tied to Colorectal cancer, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer and 3 more.

## Summary

Participates in the Wnt signalling pathway and modulates MYC expression by binding to its promoter in a sequence-specific manner. Acts as a repressor in the absence of CTNNB1, and as activator in its presence. Activates transcription from promoters with several copies of the Tcf motif 5'-CCTTTGATC-3' in the presence of CTNNB1.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.83 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes affected pathway 0.58, literature 0.97, genetic association 0.72, somatic mutation 0.96, animal model 0.49). IntOGen calls it a driver in 7 cohorts (0 activating, 7 loss-of-function), covering Colon Adenocarcinoma, Colorectal Adenocarcinoma, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Rectal Adenocarcinoma.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: transcription factor 7 like 2; Transcription factor 7-like 2; TCF-4; TCF4
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: TCF7L2
- Class: tumor-suppressor
- Biology: Participates in the Wnt signalling pathway and modulates MYC expression by binding to its promoter in a sequence-specific manner. Acts as a repressor in the absence of CTNNB1, and as activator in its presence. Activates transcription from promoters with several copies of the Tcf motif 5'-CCTTTGATC-3' in the presence of CTNNB1. TLE1, TLE2, TLE3 and TLE4 repress transactivation mediated by TCF7L2/TCF4 and CTNNB1. Expression of dominant-negative mutants results in cell-cycle arrest in G1. Necessary for the maintenance of the epithelial stem-cell compartment of the small intestine. Location: Nucleus, PML body; Nucleus (UniProt). Locus 10q25.2-q25.3 (HGNC).
- Where found: Colorectal cancer: Open Targets association 0.76 with colorectal cancer (MONDO_0005575); IntOGen driver in 5 cohorts (COAD, COADREAD); Breast cancer: Open Targets association 0.65 with breast cancer (MONDO_0007254); Prostate cancer: Open Targets association 0.60 with prostate cancer (MONDO_0008315); Hepatocellular carcinoma: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (HCC); Skin cancer: Open Targets association 0.52 with skin cancer (MONDO_0002898); Rectal cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (READ)

## 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 a loss-of-function (LoF) driver in 7 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:11641: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:11641
- UniProt Q9NQB0: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q9NQB0/entry
- NCBI Gene 6934: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6934
- Ensembl ENSG00000148737: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000148737

## 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/), [Hepatocellular carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/hcc/), [Prostate cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/prostate/), [Rectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/rectal-cancer/), [Skin cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/skin-cancer/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/tcf7l2.json