THE MULTIFACETED ROLES OF NITRIC-OXIDE IN CANCER

The roles of nitric oxide (NO) in numerous disease states have generat ed considerable discussion over the past several years. NO has been la beled as the causative agent in different pathophysiological mechanism s, yet appears to protect against various chemical species such as tho se generated under oxidative stress. Similarly, NO appears to exert a dichotomy of effects within the multistage model of cancer, Chronic in flammation can lead to the production of chemical intermediates, among them NO, which in turn can mediate damage to DNA, Yet, NO also appear s to be critical for the tumoricidal activity of the immune system. Fu rthermore, NO can also have a multitude of effects on other aspects of tumor biology, including angiogenesis and metastasis, This report wil l discuss how the chemistry of NO may impact the initiation and progre ssion stages of cancer.