Pathogenic role and therapeutic targets of nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway in cancer (Review)

The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway not only exerts a notable role in inflammation and immune modulation but is also considered a key driver in the initiation and progression of cancer. NF-κB is closely associated with tumor cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis, indicating its notable role in cancer pathogenesis. Based on research into the NF-κB pathway, the present article studied the biochemical processes involved in the NF-κB pathway, analyzed potential drug targets and inhibitors and clarified therapeutic strategies for targeting NF-κB in cancer treatment. The NF-κB signaling pathway consists of both classical and non-classical pathways and plays a fundamental role in multiple cancer processes, including cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation, tumor microenvironment interactions, therapy resistance, ion channel modulation, tumor heterogeneity, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-mediated migration, invasion and metastasis. Current therapeutic development has yielded diverse pharmacological agents targeting this pathway, including phytochemical-derived NF-κB inhibitors and synthetic molecules for cancer therapy.