In line with these findings, Smits et al. demonstrated that SARS-CoV-infected aged macaques show in the lungs an increase in NF-κB nuclear translocation, as a result of NF-κB activation, and developed a stronger host response to virus infection compared with young adult macaques, with a significant increase in the expression of pro-inflammatory genes mainly regulated by NF-κB.44 Here, NFKB1 is linked to viral infectious disease.