Breaking the relay in deregulated cellular signal transduction as a rationale for chemoprevention with anti-inflammatory phytochemicals

Center to the cancer biology is disrupted intracellular signaling network, which transmits improper signals resulting in abnormal cellular functioning. Therefore, modulation of inappropriate cell signaling cascades might be a rational approach in achieving chemoprevention. Inflammation has long been suspected to contribute to carcinogenesis. A new horizon in chemoprevention research is the recent discovery of molecular links between inflammation and cancer. Components of the cell signaling network, especially those converge on redox-sensitive transcription factor nuclear factor-κB involved in mediating inflammatory response, have been implicated in carcinogenesis. Intracellular signaling through another redox-sensitive transcription factor AP-1 and that transmitted via a more recently identified oncoprotein β-catenin are also considered to be crucial for inflammation-associated cancer. Epidemiological and experimental studies have revealed that a wide variety of phytochemicals present in our daily diet are potential chemopreventive agents that can alter or correct undesired cellular functions caused by abnormal pro-inflammatory signal transmission. Modulation of cellular signaling involved in chronic inflammatory response by anti-inflammatory phytochemicals may comprise a rational and pragmatic strategy in molecular target-based chemoprevention.