Nuclear factor-κB activation: From bench to bedside

Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is a proinflammatory transcription factor that has emerged as an important player in the development and progression of malignant cancers. NF-κB targets genes that promote tumor cell proliferation, survival, metastasis, inflammation, invasion, and angiogenesis. Constitutive or aberrant activation of NF-κB is frequently encountered in many human tumors and is associated with a resistant phenotype and poor prognosis. The mechanism of such persistent NF-κB activation is not clear but may involve defects in signaling pathways, mutations, or chromosomal rearrangements. Suppression of constitutive NF-κB activation inhibits the oncogenic potential of transformed cells and thus makes NF-κB an interesting new therapeutic target in cancer.