A limited list of transcription factors are overactive in most human cancer cells, which makes them targets for the development of anticancer drugs.
That they are the most direct and hopeful targets for treating cancer is proposed, and this is supported by the fact that there are many more human oncogenes in signalling pathways than there are oncogenic transcription factors. However, it is not known if specific transcription-factor activity can be inhibited.
References
Darnell JE Jr. Transcription factors as targets for cancer therapy. Nat Rev Cancer 2002;2:740-749. PMID: 12360277