In this issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine, Bartlett et al. suggest that the transcription factor NF-κB, and specifically its subunit p65, is a key determinant of acute exacerbations of asthma, and propose a molecular dichotomy in the regulation of pro-inflammatory versus antiviral responses in asthmatic individuals that is mediated by p65 NF-κB and the type I interferon (IFN) system (Bartlett et al, 2012). The gene discussed is IFNA1; the disease is asthma.