The role of HMGB1 in gastrointestinal cancers

Despite advances in diagnostic and therapeutic methods, gastrointestinal (GI) cancers have both a high incidence and a high mortality rate. In addition to surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, novel modalities such as immunotherapy are increasingly used in the treatment of these cancers. However, the prognosis in GI cancers remains poor despite the availability of these treatments, which prompted the search for new prognostic and predictive markers. High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is a non-histone DNA protein which is known as a nuclear transcription factor. The search for new therapeutic targets has also gained importance. In this review, the prognostic and predictive role of HMGB1 in gastrointestinal cancers will be discussed in light of current literature.