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Updated: Oct 15, 2025

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Nitric Oxide and Cancer: When to Give and When to Take Away?

Katrina M Miranda1, Lisa A Ridnour2, Christopher L McGinity2

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, 1306 East University Boulevard, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States.

Inorganic Chemistry
|October 25, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Nitric oxide (NO) has dual roles in cancer, promoting it at low levels and inhibiting it at high levels. Understanding NO

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenously generated free radical with complex roles in cancer.
  • Its effects can be contradictory, acting as both a promoter (pro-tumorigenic) and inhibitor (anti-tumorigenic).
  • This duality complicates therapeutic strategies targeting NO modulation in tumors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of nitric oxide's concentration, spatial, and temporal dependence in cancer.
  • To correlate these NO dynamics with potential treatment and prevention strategies.
  • To provide a viewpoint on the complex role of NO in cancer progression.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing research on nitric oxide in cancer.
  • Analysis of the concentration-dependent effects of NO on oncogenic pathways, metastasis, angiogenesis, and apoptosis.
  • Correlation of NO's mechanistic roles with clinical outcomes and therapeutic implications.

Main Results:

  • Low levels of NO can drive oncogenic pathways, immunosuppression, metastasis, and angiogenesis.
  • Higher levels of NO can induce apoptosis, reduce hypoxia, and sensitize tumors to conventional therapies.
  • Clinical outcomes are influenced by tumor type, stage, and the tumor microenvironment.

Conclusions:

  • The dual role of NO in cancer necessitates a nuanced approach to therapeutic strategies.
  • Understanding the concentration, spatial, and temporal dynamics of NO is crucial for effective cancer treatment and prevention.
  • Future strategies should consider the specific tumor context to effectively modulate NO for therapeutic benefit.

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