NF-kappa B signaling and carcinogenesis

NF-kappaB is an inducible transcription factor that is controlled by the signal activation cascades. NF-kappaB controls a number of genes involved in immuno-inflammatory responses, cell cycle progression, inhibition of apoptosis and cell adhesion, thus promoting carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Interestingly, some proteins encoded by oncogenes and oncogenic viruses have been shown to be involved in NF-kappaB activation pathway. In fact, NF-kappaB is constitutively activated in some cancer and leukemia cells. These findings have substantiated the old concept of the link between chronic inflammation and carcinogenesis. In this review, we have attempted to overview the possible involvement of NF-kappaB in cancer and discuss the feasibility of anti-cancer strategy with NF-kappaB and its signaling cascade as novel molecular targets.