Seventeen years after its initial description, nuclear factor-KB (NF-KB)
endures as one of the most studied transcription factors. NF-KB has
attracted widespread interest based on the variety of stimuli that
activate it, the diverse genes and bio- logical responses that it
controls, the striking evolutionary conservation of struc- ture and
function among species, and its involvement in a variety of human
diseases. The biochemical basis by which several stimuli converge to
activate NF-KB has been largely elucidated during recent years. While
first discovered as a key regulatory factor of the immune system, NF-KB
is now recognized as an important player in the functioning of many
organs and cell types. The ongoing examination of NF-KB signaling has
revealed its ever expanding role in immune and inflammatory responses,
but also in cancer and development. For this reason, numerous efforts
are underway to develop safe inhibitors of NF-KB to be used in the
treatment of both chronic and acute disease situations. The present book
is the first to review and synthesize our knowledge of this interesting
transcription factor. As such, the choice of subjects to review was
daunting. To set the stage, an introductory chapter on activators and
target genes, as well as the role they play in several responses, has
been included.
