NFKB1 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Given the physiological and immunological similarities between COPD and aging, COPD was regarded to be an “accelerated aging phenotype.” Aging and COPD are mediated by common molecular mechanisms, including increased activation of NF-κB, oxidative stress, telomere shortening and impaired DNA repair, leading to significant dysregulation of the immune system (74).