Induction and Repression of NF-κB-Driven Inflammatory Genes

Aberrant gene expression is a primary cause of many disease-associated pathophysiologies. Therefore, the pharmacological modulation of transcription factor activity represents an attractive therapeutic approach to such disorders. Except for nuclear receptors, which are a direct target of pharmaceuticals, other known classes of transcription factors are largely regulated indirectly, i.e., by drugs, which impact upon signal transduction cascades and alter transcription factor modification (phosphorylation, acetylation, nitrosylation, hydroxylation) and/or their nuclear import (Emery et al. 2001; Pandolfi 2001).