Resumen
Factors such as estrogen, progesterone, and androgen receptors, also known as nuclear receptors, are abundantly expressed in the majority of breast cancers where they serve as critical regulators of tumor growth and metastatic disease. The ability of these receptors to regulate breast cancer cell functions depends on their interactions with DNA to control the activity of a large number of genes. FOXA1 is a protein that is highly expressed in a majority of breast cancers and its binding to DNA helps define which genes are regulated by nuclear receptors. This review discusses the current literature on how FOXA1 controls gene activity, cell biology, and the response of breast cancers to hormone therapies. It also offers areas of future study to identify roles of FOXA1 in controlling breast cancers that is independent of its regulation of nuclear receptors.