The role of nitric oxide synthase/ nitric oxide in infection-related cancers: Beyond antimicrobial activity

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer Vol. 1879; no. 5; p. 189156
• Main Authors: Hu, Xudong, Li, Yueshuo, Cao, Ya, Shi, Feng, Shang, Li
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Animals; Helicobacter Infections - drug therapy; Helicobacter Infections - microbiology; Helicobacter Infections - pathology; Helicobacter pylori - pathogenicity; Humans; Infection-related cancer; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Nitric oxide synthase; Nitric Oxide Synthase - metabolism; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II - metabolism; Oncogenic virus; Signal Transduction; Nitric oxide synthase; Infection-related cancer; Oncogenic virus; Nitric oxide
• ISSN: 0304-419X; 1879-2561; 1879-2561
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189156

As a free radical and endogenous effector molecule, mammalian endogenous nitric oxide (NO) is mainly derived from nitric oxide synthase (NOS) via L-arginine. NO participates in normal physiological reactions and provides immune responses to prevent the invasion of foreign bacteria. However, NO also has complex and contradictory biological effects. Abnormal NO signaling is involved in the progression of many diseases, such as cancer. In the past decades, cancer research has been closely linked with NOS/ NO, and many tumors with poor prognosis are associated with high expression of NOS. In this review, we give a overview of the biological effects of NOS/ NO. Then we focus on the oncogenic role of iNOS/ NO in HPV, HBV, EBV and H. pylori related tumors. In fact, there is growing evidence that iNOS could be used as a potential therapeutic target in cancer therapy. We emphasize that the pro-tumor effect of NOS/ NO is greater than the anti-tumor effect.