Role of the NFκB-signaling pathway in cancer

Longzheng Xia,1,* Shiming Tan,1,* Yujuan Zhou,1 Jingguan Lin,1 Heran Wang,1 Linda Oyang,1 Yutong Tian,1 Lu Liu,1 Min Su,1 Hui Wang,1 Deliang Cao,1,2 Qianjin Liao1 1Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China; 2Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, Simmons Cancer Institute, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, USA *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Cancer is a group of cells that malignantly grow and proliferate uncontrollably. At present, treatment modes for cancer mainly comprise surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, molecularly targeted therapy, gene therapy, and immunotherapy. However, the curative effects of these treatments have been limited thus far by specific characteristics of tumors. Abnormal activation of signaling pathways is involved in tumor pathogenesis and plays critical roles in growth, progression, and relapse of cancers. Targeted therapies against effectors in oncogenic signaling have improved the outcomes of cancer patients. NFκB is an important signaling pathway involved in pathogenesis and treatment of cancers. Excessive activation of the NFκB-signaling pathway has been documented in various tumor tissues, and studies on this signaling pathway for targeted cancer therapy have become a hot topic. In this review, we update current understanding of the NFκB-signaling pathway in cancer. Keywords: nuclear factor kappa-B, p65, signaling pathway, cancer, inflammatio