title: The NF-κB Pathway and Cancer Stem Cells.
abstract: The NF-κB transcription factor pathway is a crucial regulator of inflammation and immune responses. Additionally, aberrant NF-κB signaling has been identified in many types of cancer. Downstream of key oncogenic pathways, such as RAS, BCR-ABL, and Her2, NF-κB regulates transcription of target genes that promote cell survival and proliferation, inhibit apoptosis, and mediate invasion and metastasis. The cancer stem cell model posits that a subset of tumor cells (cancer stem cells) drive tumor initiation, exhibit resistance to treatment, and promote recurrence and metastasis. This review examines the evidence for a role for NF-κB signaling in cancer stem cell biology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. arink@email.unc.edu.|Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. arink@email.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Amanda L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rinkenbaugh
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. albert_baldwin@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Albert S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Baldwin
keywords: NF-κB; cancer; cancer stem cells; self-renewal; tumor-initiating cells