The anti-death machinery in IKK/NF-kappaB signaling.

The most extensively studied function of NF-kappaB is its ability to promote cell survival through induction of target genes, whose products inhibit various aspects of the apoptotic machinery in both normal and malignant cells. Recent studies, however, indicate that NF-kappaB activation can also suppress programmed necrosis through induction of genes encoding anti-oxidant proteins. Since tumor cells often use NF-kappaB pathway as a shield to escape the killing of conventional anti-cancer therapies, intervention of IKK/NF-kappaB signaling would be a promising option to improve the efficacy of cancer treatment.