Fig. 1.p38 (, , , and )
family proteins regulate inflammation and inflammation-associated oncogenesis by
isoform-specific and cell/tissue-dependent mechanism. p38 activity in
immune cells is mostly proinflammatory and oncogenic while in epithelial cells
(and other target cells such as MEFs) is anti-inflammatory and tumor suppressive.
p38 and p38 activity in immune and epithelial cells is both
proinflammatory and oncogenic. * Biphasic effects of inducible p38 KO
in intestinal epithelial cells and in lung epithelial projector cells, i.e.,
p38 is a tumor suppressor in cancer initiation stage but is oncogenic
in advanced stage likely via tumor-stromal interactions. No p38 studies
on inflammation and/or cancer have been reported. ** Only studies of conditional
p38 and combined p38/p38 KO in myeloid cells were
reported.