LE FACTUER TRANSCRIPTIONNEL NF-κB: ROLE AU COURS DE L'ONCOGENESE ET DE LA REPONSE AU TRAITEMENT ANTICANCEREUX

The NF-κB transcription factor is a central mediator of immune response and inflammation. Several lines of evidence also support a role for NF-κB in oncogenesis and cancer progression. However, with the exception of the oncoprotein v-Rel, a direct oncogenicity by Rel/NF-κB proteins has not yet been demonstrated. It is conceivable that, according to the cellular context and the stage of cancer, an activation or an inhibition of cellular NF-κB activity might participate in tumor progression. On another hand, NF-κB is clearly involved in the control of apoptosis and cellular response to DNA damage following treatment with cytotoxic anticancer treatments. NF-κB inhibits apoptosis after cellular treatment with TNF-α or DNA-damaging agents. Therefore, the development of drugs that inhibit NF-κB should allow a significant increase of cytotoxicity induced by anticancer chemotherapy.