Role of Nrf2 pathway in radiation resistance of cancer cells and their modulation using curcumin derivatives

Radiation therapy is one of the major treatment modalities employed in treating cancer. However, the therapeutic efficacy of radiation therapy is severely affected by inherent and inducible radiation resistance exhibited by cancer cells. Understanding the molecular players involved in radiation resistance and development of suitable drugs, which can be combined with radiation to sensitize cancer cell killing, is need of the hour. Altered transcription is one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. Cancer cells over express certain transcription factors and are addicted to these factors for their survival. We have been working on identifying such factors and they can be good targets for radiosensitization of tumor cells. We have investigated the radiosensitivity profiles of different human cancer cell lines and selected two cancer cells of same tissue of origin yet having difference in radiosensitivity. (author)