E2F transcription factors and cancerFactores de transcripción E2F y cáncer

Tumor cells have developed successful mechanisms to escape the normal controls that regulate cell proliferation and apoptosis. Basic research can help in the processes of target discovery for designing new therapeutic interventions in oncology based on the control of the cell cycle. As alterations in gene expression have become a better understood component of normal development and disease progression, transcription factors have become an increasingly attractive target for therapy. The aim of this article is to review the role of the E2F family of transcription factors in the control of the cell cycle of normal and cancerous cells, as well as to give an outline of their potential as targets for therapy.