*6.2.12. Agents inducing tumor cell apoptosis*

The induction of tumor cell apoptosis seems to be a promising target in cancer treatment. NF-κB expression showed to be positively correlated with the degree of the tumor and is negatively correlated with cancer prognosis.

Bortezomib is a highly potent proteasome inhibitor that acts by inhibiting activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Preclinical studies have demonstrated an effect of growth inhibition of this agent in combination with standard chemotherapy for gastric cancer [175, 176]. However, phase II studies assessing the efficacy of bortezomib either alone or in combination with irinotecan or paclitaxel plus carboplatin showed no positive results [177–179].
