Noncanonical NF-κB Signaling in Health and Disease

Noncanonical NF-kappa B signaling differs from canonical NF-kappa B signaling by being activated through different cell surface receptors, cytoplasmic adaptors, and NF-kappa B dimers. Under normal physiological conditions, this noncanonical pathway has been implicated in diverse biological processes, including lymphoid organogenesis, B cell maturation, osteoclast differentiation, and various functions of other immune cells. Recently, dysfunction of this pathway has also been causally associated with numerous immune-mediated pathologies and human malignancies. Here, we summarize the core elements as well as the recently identified novel regulators of the noncanonical NF-kappa B signaling pathway. The involvement of this pathway in different pathologies and the potential therapeutic options that are currently envisaged are also discussed.