Abstract
Despite the improved understanding of nitric oxide (NO) biology and the large amount of preclinical experiments testing its role in cancer development and progression, it is still debated whether NO should be considered a potential anticancer agent or instead a carcinogen. The complexity of NO effects whitin a cell and the variability of the final biological outcome depending upon NO levels makes it highly challenging to determine the therapeutic value of interfering with the activity of this intriguing gaseous messenger. This uncertainty has so far halted the clinical implementation of NO-based therapeutics in the field of oncology. Accordingly, only an in depth knowledge of the mechanisms leading to experimental tumor regression or progression in response to NO will allow us to exploit this molecule to fight cancer.
Keywords: Nitric oxide, reactive nitrogen species, cancer, tumor biology, anticancer therapy, nitric oxide donating drug, nitric oxide synthase inhibitor
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Title: Nitric Oxide: Cancer Target or Anticancer Agent?
Volume: 9 Issue: 2
Author(s): Simone Mocellin
Affiliation:
Keywords: Nitric oxide, reactive nitrogen species, cancer, tumor biology, anticancer therapy, nitric oxide donating drug, nitric oxide synthase inhibitor
Abstract: Despite the improved understanding of nitric oxide (NO) biology and the large amount of preclinical experiments testing its role in cancer development and progression, it is still debated whether NO should be considered a potential anticancer agent or instead a carcinogen. The complexity of NO effects whitin a cell and the variability of the final biological outcome depending upon NO levels makes it highly challenging to determine the therapeutic value of interfering with the activity of this intriguing gaseous messenger. This uncertainty has so far halted the clinical implementation of NO-based therapeutics in the field of oncology. Accordingly, only an in depth knowledge of the mechanisms leading to experimental tumor regression or progression in response to NO will allow us to exploit this molecule to fight cancer.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Mocellin Simone, Nitric Oxide: Cancer Target or Anticancer Agent?, Current Cancer Drug Targets 2009; 9 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156800909787581015
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156800909787581015 |
Print ISSN 1568-0096 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-5576 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances in Cancer Biomarkers and Potential Drug Targets: From Diagnosis to Therapy
Cancer biomarkers play a crucial role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. They provide valuable information for cancer detection, risk assessment, treatment selection, and monitoring response to therapy. With advancements in molecular biology and high-throughput technologies, there has been an increasing interest in identifying and characterizing cancer biomarkers ...read more
Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Target Drug Resistant Tumors
With the development of disciplines such as chemical biology and molecular biology, the genes or proteins closely related to tumor occurrence and development have gradually become clear. Targeted therapies targeting these genes or proteins provide more effective methods for tumor treatment. Tumor targeted drugs generally only act on specific targets ...read more
ROLE OF IMMUNE AND GENOTOXIC RESPONSE BIOMARKERS IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Biological biomarkers have been used in medical research as an indicator of a normal or abnormal process inside the body, or of a disease. Nowadays, various researchers are in process to explore and investigate the biological markers for the early assessment of cancer. DNA Damage response (DDR) pathways and immune ...read more
Targeting the battlefield between host and tumor: basic research and clinical practice on reshaping tumor immune microenvironment
Immune system protects host against malignant tumors through effector cells and molecules. Cancer development and its response to therapy are regulated by inflammation, which either promotes or suppresses cancer progression. Chronic inflammation facilitates cancer progression and treatment resistance, whereas induction of acute inflammatory reactions often lead to anti-cancer immune responses. ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
The Hellp Syndrome: A Review
Current Women`s Health Reviews Discovery and Advancement of Farnesyl Transferase Inhibitors as Potential Anticancer Therapeutic Agents: SCH 66336 a Case Study
Current Medicinal Chemistry - Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Agents C. elegans as a Genetic Model System to Identify Parkinson's Disease- Associated Therapeutic Targets
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Regulation of Angiogenesis by the Kallikrein-Kinin System
Current Pharmaceutical Design Adverse Cardiovascular Effects of Antirheumatic Drugs: Implications for Clinical Practice and Research
Current Pharmaceutical Design Tolvaptan: A New Therapeutic Agent
Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials Analgesic Efficacy and Safety of Spinal Oxycodone in Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Preliminary Study
Current Medicinal Chemistry The Use of Infliximab in Dermatology
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Maternal Outcomes in Women with Major Degree Placenta Previa: An Observational Cohort Study
Current Women`s Health Reviews Cannabinoids and Cardiovascular Disease: The Outlook for Clinical Treatments
Current Vascular Pharmacology NO News is not Necessarily Good News in Cancer
Current Cancer Drug Targets TRPV1 Function in Health and Disease
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Molecular Pathways of Endothelial Cell Activation for (Targeted) Pharmacological Intervention of Chronic Inflammatory Diseases
Current Vascular Pharmacology Understanding and Avoiding Antiretroviral Adverse Events
Current Pharmaceutical Design Alkaloids from Cyanobacteria with Diverse Powerful Bioactivities
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Liposomal-All-trans-Retinoic Acid in the Treatment of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews Nitric Oxide in Health and Disease from the Point of View of the Otorhinolaryngologist
Current Pharmaceutical Design Variability in Response to Cardiovascular Drugs
Current Clinical Pharmacology Multiple Functions of Mammalian Germinal Center Kinases
Current Chemical Biology Cardioprotective Peptides from Marine Sources
Current Protein & Peptide Science