A study from our group has identified binding of TLX on the Oct-4 promoter in neural progenitor cells upon hypoxia, leading to self-renewal of these cells and a further activation of Akt signaling pathways.11 Recent studies demonstrate the role of Oct-4 in promoting migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells by expression and activation of MMP-2 and MMP-9.22 In agreement with this, we found that TLX in IMR-32 cells upon hypoxia was recruited to the human Oct-4 core promoter (Figure 6c). Here, MMP9 is linked to urinary bladder carcinoma.