The Role of the Transcription Factor Brachyury in Chordoma

Chordomas are rare, malignant bone tumors, which are thought to arise from notochordal remnants. This assumption is based on the shared expression of the transcription factor brachyury.During embryonic development brachyury plays a crucial role during the formation of the anterior-posterior axis, however, recent studies provide convincing evidence, that brachyury is also essential for survival of chordoma cells.This article provides an overview of the physiological and oncogenic functions of brachyury and discusses targeted therapeutic approaches in chordoma.