Pathogenic role and therapeutic targets of nuclear factor‑κB signaling pathway in cancer (Review)

The nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) signaling pathway not only exerts a notable role in inflammation and immune modulation but is also considered a key driver in the initiation and progression of cancer. NF‑κB is closely associated with tumor cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis, indicating its notable role in cancer pathogenesis. Based on research into the NF‑κB pathway, the present article studied the biochemical processes involved in the NF‑κB pathway, analyzed potential drug targets and inhibitors and clarified therapeutic strategies for targeting NF‑κB in cancer treatment. The NF‑κB signaling pathway consists of both classical and non‑classical pathways and plays a fundamental role in multiple cancer processes, including cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation, tumor microenvironment interactions, therapy resistance, ion channel modulation, tumor heterogeneity, and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT)‑mediated migration, invasion and metastasis. Current therapeutic development has yielded diverse pharmacological agents targeting this pathway, including phytochemical‑derived NF‑κB inhibitors and synthetic molecules for cancer therapy.