Mouse CXCL14 was identified from an EST database of a murine immature keratinocyte cDNA library. mRNA expression in mouse tissues showed high levels in brain, ovary, lung, and muscle. CXCL14 is well conserved between humans, birds, frogs and fish at the amino acid level, and human and mouse CXCL14 share 95% identity. Original studies showed a decrease in the expression of CXCL14 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCCs) tumors, and the induction of expression of CXCL14 in human oral carcinoma prevented tumor growth of these cells in vivo. Therefore, it was suggested that CXCL14 possesses tumor suppressing function, and it was speculated that CXCL14 secreted by stromal cells chemoattractsiDCs (immature DCs) and NK cells that activate the immune response against tumor cells. Most recent data showed that epigenetic silencing of CXCL5, CXCL12, and CXCL14 occurs in 75% of primary lung adenocarcinomas. Consequently, the low expression of CXCL14 in tumors might allow them to escape immune surveillance. Opposite of HNSCC and SCCs tumors, prostate, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers show high expression of CXCL14, inducing growth and invasiveness of pancreatic and breast cancer cells.