IKKs and tumor cell plasticity

Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) transcription factors are the central hubs of signaling pathways connecting proinflammatory signals to cell survival, proliferation and cytokine production. In cancers, NF-κB signaling influences many aspects of tumor development, from initiation to metastasis. These functions are mediated by tumor-induced plasticity that allows tumor cells to adapt and survive in changing conditions within the tumor microenvironment. Tumor cell plasticity is shaped by the inflammatory microenvironment in tumors. This review focuses on inhibitor of NF-κB kinases, the direct upstream elements of NF-κB regulation, specifically on their conventional and non-conventional functions in animal models of tumorigenesis from the recent literature.