An off-topic question here, since you bring up this topic.
Furthermore, I will admit openly that I don't have the slightest clue, and am seeking further information.
Has anyone considered the relation of Hox genes to metastatis in cancer?
Cheers!
Not just to metastasis but also to the initiation of the original cancer itself. From personal experience, changes in the normal expression levels of Hox genes are implicated in several cancers, including myeloid leukemia and neuroblastomas. Hox gene expression is normally tightly regulated and these tight controls are often disrupted in cancerous cells. Hox genes in normal development serve many functions, one of which is in establishing the positional identity of cells in the body. Disruption of normal Hox gene expression causes gross changes in the body plan of the organism, from flatworms to fruit flies to fish, chicks, mice and humans.