title: IKK/NF-kappaB signaling: balancing life and death--a new approach to cancer therapy.
abstract: IkappaB kinase/NF-kappaB (IKK/NF-kappaB) signaling pathways play critical roles in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. One function of NF-kappaB is promotion of cell survival through induction of target genes, whose products inhibit components of the apoptotic machinery in normal and cancerous cells. NF-kappaB can also prevent programmed necrosis by inducing genes encoding antioxidant proteins. Regardless of mechanism, many cancer cells, of either epithelial or hematopoietic origin, use NF-kappaB to achieve resistance to anticancer drugs, radiation, and death cytokines. Hence, inhibition of IKK-driven NF-kappaB activation offers a strategy for treatment of different malignancies and can convert inflammation-induced tumor growth to inflammation-induced tumor regression.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Center, School of Medicine, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA.
authors.forename: Jun-Li
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamata
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase