Romo1 and the NF-κB pathway are involved in oxidative stress-induced tumor cell invasion

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important contributors to tumor cell invasion. ROS enhanced by reactive oxygen species modulator 1 (Romol) expression has been reported to increase invasive potential and constitutive activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, we investigated whether constitutive NF-kappa B activation due to Romol expression is associated with breast cancer tumor cell invasion. In this study, we show that oxidative stress-induced invasion is mediated by Romol expression. The Romol-induced increase of invasive activity was blocked by an inhibitor of kappa B kinase (IKK). These tesults demonstrate that tumor cell invasion in response to oxidative stress is associated with Romol expression and the NF-kappa B signaling pathway. Romol is therefore a promising therapeutic target for diseases characterized by NF-kappa B deregulation.