Abstract: PAX6, which is a PAX gene family member, is a highly conserved transcriptional regulator, plays vital roles in multiple biological processes such as embryonic development and tumorigenesis. It was reported that PAX6 regulates target gene expression including cdc2, cyclin D1, p21, p27, MMP-2 and VEGFA, controls cell growth, apoptosis, cell cycle, invasion and angiogenesis, affects tumorigenesis and progression of various types of cancer. PAX6 will be a potential target in the field of cancer therapy.

Key words: PAX6 gene, cancer, review