Cancer, NFkappaB, and oxidative stress-dependent phenotypes

Abstract Several reports strongly support the involvement of oxidative stress in cancer development and progression. ROS levels are elevated in cancer and regulate several processes sustaining the development of key cancer phenotypes. In this context, the transcription factor NFκB exerts a key role since its activation, due to the increased ROS levels, induces the transcription of genes which regulate survival, angiogenesis, inflammation, adaptive metabolism, and resistance to therapies. The involvement of ROS and NFκB in cancer is further sustained by the demonstration that antioxidant therapy or the specific inhibition of NFκB are both able to delay tumor growth. In this chapter, we summarize the recent knowledge on this issue focusing on NFκB-dependent cancer phenotypes.