Chen Feilong, Xiao Mei, Hu Shaofan, Wang Meng
Sports Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Expert Centre of Sichuan Province, Institute of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, China.
College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
Front Oncol. 2024 Apr 3;14:1381467. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1381467. eCollection 2024.
The Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway is a major regulator of the cytoprotective response, participating in endogenous and exogenous stress caused by ROS (reactive oxygen species). Nrf2 is the core of this pathway. We summarized the literature on Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway and summarized the following three aspects: structure, function pathway, and cancer and clinical application status. This signaling pathway is similar to a double-edged sword: on the one hand, Nrf2 activity can protect cells from oxidative and electrophilic stress; on the other hand, increasing Nrf2 activity can enhance the survival and proliferation of cancer cells. Notably, oxidative stress is also considered a marker of cancer in humans. Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway, as a typical antioxidant stress pathway, is abnormal in a variety of human malignant tumor diseases (such as lung cancer, liver cancer, and thyroid cancer). In recent years, research on the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway has become increasingly in-depth and detailed. Therefore, it is of great significance for cancer prevention and treatment to explore the molecular mechanism of the occurrence and development of this pathway.
Keap1-Nrf2信号通路是细胞保护反应的主要调节因子，参与由活性氧（ROS）引起的内源性和外源性应激。Nrf2是该通路的核心。我们总结了关于Keap1-Nrf2信号通路的文献，并归纳为以下三个方面：结构、功能途径以及癌症与临床应用现状。该信号通路犹如一把双刃剑：一方面，Nrf2活性可保护细胞免受氧化和亲电应激；另一方面，Nrf2活性增加会增强癌细胞的存活和增殖。值得注意的是，氧化应激也被认为是人类癌症的一个标志物。Keap1-Nrf2信号通路作为典型的抗氧化应激通路，在多种人类恶性肿瘤疾病（如肺癌、肝癌和甲状腺癌）中存在异常。近年来，对Keap1-Nrf2信号通路的研究日益深入和详细。因此，探究该通路发生发展的分子机制对癌症防治具有重要意义。
