NADPH Oxidase 4 (NOX4) in Cancer: Linking Redox Signals to Oncogenic Metabolic Adaptation

Cancer cells can survive and maintain their high proliferation rate in spite of their hypoxic environment by deploying a variety of adaptative mechanisms, one of them being the reorientation of cellular metabolism. A key aspect of this metabolic rewiring is the promotion of the synthesis of antioxidant molecules in order to counter-balance the hypoxia-related elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and thus combat the onset of cellular oxidative stress. However, opposite to their negative role in the inception of oxidative stress, ROS are also key modulatory components of physiological cellular metabolism. One of the major physiological cellular ROS sources is the NADPH oxidase enzymes (NOX-es). Indeed, NOX-es produce ROS in a tightly regulated manner and control a variety of cellular processes. By contrast, pathologically elevated and unbridled NOX-derived ROS production is linked to diverse cancerogenic processes. In this respect, NOX4, one of the members of the NOX family enzymes, is of particular interest. In fact, NOX4 is closely linked to hypoxia-related signaling and is a regulator of diverse metabolic processes. Furthermore, NOX4 expression and function are altered in a variety of malignancies. The aim of this review is to provide a synopsis of our current knowledge concerning NOX4-related processes in the oncogenic metabolic adaptation of cancer cells.