NKX3-1 and prostate cancer: NKX3.1 appears to have a role in prostate cancer development since transgenic mice that have homozygous mutations of the NKX3.1 gene (Bhatia-Gaur et al, 1999; Abdulkadir et al, 2002) develop the early cancerous lesion prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN).