Yin-yang regulating effects of cancer-associated genes, proteins, and cells: An ancient Chinese concept in vogue in modern cancer research

Abstract

Great achievements have been made in human cancer research, but most of this research is focused on conditions at the microscopic rather than the systemic level. Recent studies have increasingly cited the ancient Chinese theory of yin-yang in an effort to expand beyond the microscopic level. Various cancer-associated genes and proteins such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), p38, p53, c-Myc, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, NF-κB, Cyclin D1, and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) and cells such as T cells, B cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and fibroblasts have been reported to regulate various types of cancers in a yin-yang manner. These studies have brought the theory of yin-yang into vogue in cancer research worldwide.