Nuclear Factor-kappa B as a Resistance Factor to Platinum-Based Antineoplasic Drugs

Platinum drugs continue to be major chemotherapy drugs for cancer treatment. Nevertheless, acquired or intrinsic resistance to these compounds is common in human tumors. One important mechanism for this resistance is the avoidance of cells entering the apoptotic pathway. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B, NF-κB) is a pleiotropic transcription factor key in determining the death threshold of human cells. This factor is important in the final response of cells to platinum drugs, as exemplified by in vitro and in vivo models showing that inhibition of NF-κB sensitizes cancer cells to the effects of these drugs. New approaches focusing on the inhibition of NF-κB could help to minimize or even eliminate intrinsic or acquired resistance to platinum drugs.