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Induced nitric oxide synthase as a major player in the oncogenic transformation of inflamed tissue

Guang-Yu Yang1, Sofia Taboada, Jie Liao

  • 1Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|April 7, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Nitric oxide (NO) and its producing enzymes, induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), play roles in inflammation and cancer. Understanding these links offers potential cancer prevention and treatment strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical implicated in inflammation and carcinogenesis.
  • Four nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes (iNOS, eNOS, nNOS, mitochondrial NOS) produce NO.
  • Induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is a key enzyme in inflamed tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To link nitric oxide (NO), iNOS, and eNOS to inflammation and carcinogenesis.
  • To explore experimental evidence for these connections.
  • To identify potential targets for cancer prevention and treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent literature.
  • Analysis of experimental evidence.
  • Focus on NO/iNOS/eNOS modulation of cancer-related events.

Main Results:

  • NO, iNOS, and eNOS modulate critical cancer events.
  • These events include nitro-oxidative stress, apoptosis, cell cycle, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis.
  • Experimental data support the role of NO signaling in cancer progression.

Conclusions:

  • NO/iNOS/eNOS signaling is integral to inflammation and carcinogenesis.
  • Targeting NO pathways presents opportunities for cancer prevention.
  • Modulating NO production could be a strategy for cancer treatment.

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