FKBP51 and the NF-κB regulatory pathway in cancer

Constitutive activation of NF-kappa B occurs in a significant percentage of human cancers. Genetic abnormalities of tumors often enhance normal NF-kappa B signaling. Chronic inflammation is also associated with constitutive NF-kappa B activation and increases the risk of cancer. Aberrant NF-kappa B activation favors cellular transformation, sustains cancer survival, and contributes to tumor invasion. Strategies to inhibit NF-kappa B represent a promising therapeutic option against cancer. In the last decade, several studies point to the large immunophilin FKBP51 as an important element for the control of NF-kappa B activation in human neoplasia. This article is an overview of the causes of aberrant NF-kappa B regulation in cancer and highlights recent papers that implicate FKBP51 in such deregulation.