Breaking the relay in deregulated cellular signal transduction as a rationale for chemoprevention with anti-inflammatory phytochemicals

Abstract

Center to the cancer biology is disrupted intracellular signaling network, which transmits improper signals resulting in abnormal cellular functioning. Therefore, modulation of inappropriate cell signaling cascades might be a rational approach in achieving chemoprevention. Inflammation has long been suspected to contribute to carcinogenesis. A new horizon in chemoprevention research is the recent discovery of molecular links between inflammation and cancer. Components of the cell signaling network, especially those converge on redox-sensitive transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B involved in mediating inflammatory response, have been implicated in carcinogenesis. Intracellular signaling through another redox-sensitive transcription factor AP-1 and that transmitted via a more recently identified oncoprotein beta-catenin are also considered to be crucial for inflammation-associated cancer. Epidemiological and experimental studies have revealed that a wide variety of phytochemicals present in our daily diet are potential chemopreventive agents that can alter or correct undesired cellular functions caused by abnormal pro-inflammatory signal transmission. Modulation of cellular signaling involved in chronic inflammatory response by anti-inflammatory phytochemicals may comprise a rational and pragmatic strategy in molecular target-based chemoprevention. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.