Pro-apoptotic role of NF-kappaB: implications for cancer therapy.
Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is generally viewed as anti-apoptotic and oncogenic, leading to a quest for its inhibitors. However, recent evidence suggests that in some situations NF-kappaB may promote apoptosis. Depending on the specific cell type and the stimulus involved, NF-kappaB activation may lead to either anti- or pro-apoptotic response. Both these effects can be mediated by NF-kappaB in a context-dependent manner by selectively regulating its target genes. In this review, we discuss the evidence for NF-kappaB's pro-apoptotic role and explore the possible mechanisms behind it. We emphasize that rather than trying to inhibit NF-kappaB in cancer therapy, agents should be developed to unleash its pro-apoptotic ability.
Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. senthil@uic.edu
Senthil K
SK
Radhakrishnan
Sitharthan
S
Kamalakaran
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D006801:Humans; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000502:physiology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*
D016328:NF-kappa B