Publication Name	World Journal of Stem Cells
Manuscript ID	109102
Country	Türkiye

Category	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manuscript Type	Review
Article Title	HOX and MEINOX in cellular plasticity, fibrosis, and cancer
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Mustafa Keleş and Aysen Gunel-Ozcan
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Aysen Gunel-Ozcan, Department of Stem Cell Sciences, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hacettepe University, Altindag, Ankara 06100, Türkiye. aysen.ozcan@hacettepe.edu.tr
Key Words	HOX; MEIS; MEINOX; PKNOX; Fibrosis; Cancer; Molecular signaling pathways
Core Tip	HOX transcription factors and MEINOX cofactors critically regulate positional identity and cellular plasticity, fundamental processes in development and adult tissue homeostasis. Dysregulation of these factors profoundly influences extracellular matrix remodeling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, promoting fibrosis progression and cancer invasiveness. By highlighting specific HOX-MEINOX-mediated mechanisms underlying disease pathology, including their interactions with key signaling pathways (transforming growth factor-beta, Wnt, Notch), this review identifies novel therapeutic targets. Modulating HOX-MEINOX activity could offer innovative strategies to reverse aberrant epithelial-mesenchymal transition and extracellular matrix remodeling, bridging translational gaps toward effective treatments for fibrotic diseases and cancer.
Citation	Keleş M, Gunel-Ozcan A. HOX and MEINOX in cellular plasticity, fibrosis, and cancer. World J Stem Cells 2025; In press

Received	2025-04-30 07:31
Peer-Review Started	2025-04-30 07:31
To Make the First Decision
Return for Revision	2025-05-24 02:42
Revised	2025-06-16 21:04
Second Decision	2025-08-10 13:58
Accepted by Journal Editor-in-Chief
Accepted by Executive Editor-in-Chief	2025-08-18 08:48
Articles in Press	2025-08-18 08:48
Publication Fee Transferred
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1948-0210 (online)
Open Access	This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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