Role of the NF-kappaB pathway in the pathogenesis of human disease states. 
The NF-kappaB family consists of a group of inducible transcription factors which regulate immune and inflammatory responses and protect cells from undergoing apoptosis in response to cellular stress.  A number of signal transduction cascades can activate the NF-kappaB pathway to result in the translocation of the NF-kappaB proteins from the cytoplasm to the nucleus where they activate the expression of specific cellular genes.  In this review, we discuss cellular genes which are regulated by NF-kappaB and disease states which are associated with constitutive activation of the NF-kappaB pathway.  Strategies to prevent prolonged activation of the NF-kappaB pathway are also discussed.