Function of Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-kB) in Human Diseases-A Review

Nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB) is a transcription factor that resides in the cytoplasm of every cell and translocates to the nucleus when activated. Its activation is induced by a wide variety of agents including stress, cigarette smoke, viruses, bacteria, inflammatory stimuli, cytokines, free radicals, carcinogens, tumor promoters and endotoxins. On activation, NFkB regulates the expression of almost 400 different genes, which include enzymes (COX-2 and iNOS) cytokines (TNF, IL-1, IL-6,IL-8 and chemokines),adhesion molecules, cell cycle regulatory molecules, viral proteins and angiogenic factors. NFkB has been linked with a wide variety of human diseases, including asthma, atherosclerosis, AIDS and diabetes, alzheimer’s disease and cancer. NFkB transcription factors and the signaling pathways that activate them are central coordinators of innate and adaptive immune responses. More recently, it has become clear that NFkB signaling also has a critical role in cancer development and progression. The purpose of this review is to describe what is known about the molecular biology of NFkB and to review information that implicates NFkB in the pathogenesis of human diseases.