A key "inflammation switch" inside cells — when it’s activated, cells produce inflammatory signals; when it’s blocked, inflammation is reduced.A transcription factor family that controls expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8), adhesion molecules, and immune mediators. Many anti-inflammatory peptides (KPV, α-MSH, PL-8177, BPC-157) work partly through NF-κB inhibition. NF-κB is also activated by cancer-promoting signals and by viral infections — which is why compounds that modulate it have research relevance across immune, oncology, and infectious disease contexts.