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Cancer

More than skin deep

Nature volume 421, pages 594–595 (2003)Cite this article

Activation of the nuclear factor NF-κB has been linked with many human cancers. But in tumours of some tissues this molecule is inactive. New work examines how turning off NF-κB promotes cancer in one tissue, the skin.

What do cell death, cell proliferation, immune responses and tumour development have in common? The answer is that they are just a few of the many biological processes in mammals that are regulated by proteins of the nuclear factor NF-κB family1,2. Widely expressed throughout an organism, the NF-κB subunits are also exquisitely regulated in terms of their ability to enter the cell nucleus and activate key genes. However, although much is known about these proteins, many issues remain unexplored. For instance, studies of the immune system and several cell lines have indicated a role for NF-κB in promoting cell proliferation and protecting against programmed cell death (apoptosis)2,3. So it is puzzling that, in the skin, these proteins seem to oppose proliferation4,5. On page 639 of this issue6, Dajee et al. address the paradox that inhibition of NF-κB in the skin can lead to increased cell proliferation — and cancer. Their findings may be important not only for understanding how skin tumours develop, but also for exploring the design and use of NF-κB inhibitors in treating cancer.

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Figure 1: Molecular interactions that can lead to skin cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rockefeller University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 1230 York Avenue, Box 300, New York, 10021-6399, New York, USA

    Diana Bolotin & Elaine Fuchs

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  1. Diana Bolotin
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  2. Elaine Fuchs
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Correspondence to Elaine Fuchs.

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Bolotin, D., Fuchs, E. More than skin deep. Nature 421, 594–595 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/421594a

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/421594a

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