A small molecule inhibitor of NF-κB, dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin (DHMEQ), suppresses growth and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells

Despite the demonstrated constitutive activation of NF-κB in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), the therapeutic potential of targeting this pathway has not been investigated. Here, we employed a small molecule inhibitor of NF-κB, DHMEQ (which mainly blocks nuclear translocation of activated NF-κB) and demonstrated significant inhibition of NPC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, as well as anchorage-independent growth. These antitumor effects were associated with induction of G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and downregulation of NF-κB target genes (EGFR, cyclin D1 and survivin). This first demonstration of therapeutic benefits of NF-κB targeting in NPC implicates the importance of targeting this pathway in NPC.