OncoSignal
Live from Open Targets Platform, fetched 2026-11-12 01:54 UTC. Every row links to its source record.

MAF MAF bZIP transcription factor

ENSG00000178573 · protein coding · Open Targets profile

Acts as a transcriptional activator or repressor. Involved in embryonic lens fiber cell development. Recruits the transcriptional coactivators CREBBP and/or EP300 to crystallin promoters leading to up- regulation of crystallin gene during lens fiber cell differentiation. Activates the expression of IL4 in T helper 2 (Th2) cells. Increases T- cell susceptibility to apoptosis by interacting with MYB and decreasing BCL2 expression. Together with PAX6, transactivates strongly the glucagon gene promoter through the G1 element. Activates transcription of the CD13 proximal promoter in endothelial cells. Represses transcription of the CD13 promoter in early stages of myelopoiesis by affecting the ETS1 and MYB cooperative interaction. Involved in the initial chondrocyte terminal differentiation and the disappearance of hypertrophic chondrocytes during endochondral bone development. Binds to the sequence 5'-[GT]G[GC]N[GT]NCTCAGNN-3' in the L7 promoter. Binds to the T-MARE (Maf response element) sites of lens-specific alpha- and beta-crystallin gene promoters. Binds element G1 on the glucagon promoter. Binds an AT-rich region adjacent to the TGC motif (atypical Maf response element) in the CD13 proximal promoter in endothelial cells (By similarity). When overexpressed, represses anti-oxidant response element (ARE)-mediated transcription. Involved either as an oncogene or as a tumor suppressor, depending on the cell context. Binds to the ARE sites of detoxifying enzyme gene promoters. {ECO:0000250, ECO:0000269|PubMed:12149651, ECO:0000269|PubMed:14998494, ECO:0000269|PubMed:15007382, ECO:0000269|PubMed:16247450, ECO:0000269|PubMed:19143053}.

In 9 of 15 cancers, the evidence for MAF comes mainly from mutations found in tumours

Each row is a cancer, strongest overall evidence first. The two dots show how strong the inherited (germline) and tumour-mutation (somatic) evidence is; the line between them is the gap.

Inherited (germline) variantsMutations in tumours (somatic)
00.250.50.751thyroid gland carcinomathyroid gland carcinomathyroid gland carcinoma: somatic 0.46thyroid gland carcinoma: germline 0.64prostate carcinomaprostate carcinomaprostate carcinoma: somatic 0.46prostate carcinoma: germline 0.50colorectal cancercolorectal cancercolorectal cancer: germline 0.61colorectal adenocarcinomacolorectal adenocarcinomacolorectal adenocarcinoma: somatic 0.61lymphoid neoplasmlymphoid neoplasmlymphoid neoplasm: somatic 0.61endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinomaendometrial endometrioid adenocarcinomaendometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma: somatic 0.61cecum adenocarcinomacecum adenocarcinomacecum adenocarcinoma: somatic 0.61bile duct carcinomabile duct carcinomabile duct carcinoma: somatic 0.61plasma cell myelomaplasma cell myelomaplasma cell myeloma: somatic 0.41benign colon neoplasmbenign colon neoplasmbenign colon neoplasm: germline 0.58lobular capilliary hemangiomalobular capilliary hemangiomalobular capilliary hemangioma: germline 0.52non-small cell lung carcinomanon-small cell lung carcinomanon-small cell lung carcinoma: somatic 0.46pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomapancreatic ductal adenocarcinomapancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: somatic 0.46breast carcinomabreast carcinomabreast carcinoma: somatic 0.46benign neoplasmbenign neoplasmbenign neoplasm: germline 0.46

Scores run from 0 (no evidence) to 1 (strongest). A missing dot at 0 means Open Targets holds no evidence of that kind. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.

Tractability

PROTAC
UniProt Ubiquitination, Database Ubiquitination

gnomAD loss of function constraint: o/e 0.45423999428749084 (upper bound 0.7705000042915344). Low values mean loss of function is poorly tolerated, a safety flag for inhibition.

Who runs trials of these drugs

No named investigators on registry trials of MAF's approved or late-stage drugs in the last three years.

No terminated, withdrawn or suspended trials of MAF's drugs are registered

All 0 drugs and clinical candidates as a table

Each drug, stage and indication links to its Open Targets record, where the trials and approvals behind it are listed. Salt forms (for example a mesylate) are listed as Open Targets records them, as separate entries.

DrugTypeHighest stageIndicationsSource records
No drugs or clinical candidates recorded.