1.Mechanism of NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Regulating Lung Cancer and Intervention of Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Xue GENG ; Wencheng CHI ; Xiaoyue LIN ; Yutong SUI ; Hua LIANG ; Jiakang JIANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2023;29(16):207-216
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and standard treatments for lung cancer, including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, have shown significant clinical effects. However, current available treatment strategies are still unable to cure the disease. Since the majority of lung cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, surgical options are often lost, and the primary approach is typically a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, the adverse reactions associated with these treatments limit their effectiveness and application, and the damage caused to normal tissues is often more severe than that inflicted on the tumor. Currently, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used as part of combination therapy for cancer treatment due to its unique system of syndrome differentiation, flexible compatibility, and safety and efficacy. TCM prescriptions and single drugs with multiple components and targets can simultaneously regulate multiple pathways. As reported, among numerous pathways involved in the regulation of lung cancer, the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway plays a key role in inducing cell transcription and is one of the main pathways involved in the occurrence and development of lung cancer. It can specifically regulate inflammatory responses, cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis, angiogenesis, and multidrug resistance in lung cancer. TCM prescriptions and single drugs can inhibit lung cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, induce apoptosis and autophagy in lung cancer cells, suppress angiogenesis, regulate immune function, and treat multidrug resistance by regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, they play a role in intervening in lung cancer. However, there is currently a lack of systematic literature research that comprehensively summarizes and elucidates these aspects in China and abroad. Therefore, it is important to provide a systematic elucidation of the mechanism underlying the regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in lung cancer and review TCM interventions in lung cancer based on the NF-κB signaling pathway. This study is expected to provide references for the clinical application of lung cancer therapeutic drugs and the development of new drugs.