Targeting inflammation-induced transcription factor activation: an open frontier for glioma therapy

A network of activated signaling cascades, transcription factors and their coordinated interactions promote tumorigenesis. In addition, the role of inflammation in tumor evolution is certain. Inflammatory mediators working via intracellular signaling cascades regulate hubs of transcriptional networks that are required for the survival and rapid growth of malignant cells, and number of inflammatory stimuli far exceeds the limited list of transcription factors that they activate. Therefore, inhibiting transcription factors that act at the intersections of several deregulated signaling pathways should hold promise for generating anticancer agents. This review aims to discuss how inflammation-mediated transcription-factor interplay could be targeted to develop a more effective therapy against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) – the most aggressive malignant brain tumor.