About HOX
Co-founded by Professors Hardev Pandha and Richard Morgan, HOX is focused on developing innovative, first-in-class and highly targeted treatments for prostate cancer
Our scientific approach is based on targeting two different tumour-driving mechanisms:
Androgen receptor
Signalling through this receptor is critical for prostate cancer development and progression – but inevitably resistance mechanisms evolve to current therapies.
Hox genes
The HOX genes code for proteins that are essential for defining the identity of cells and tissues in embryonic development. This family of genes are evolutionarily highly conserved meaning that the same genes are found relatively unchanged in different animals. This reflects the key role they play.
Many genes identified as pivotal in the development of cancer have been discovered to play primary roles in embryonic development. It indicates both processes are tightly linked.
HOX genes have been found to be involved in all the hallmarks of cancer development and thus it is not surprising that that they are closely associated with numerous solid and blood cancers.