NFKB1 and bacterial meningitis: The NF-κB signaling pathway is activated during bacterial meningitis, which plays an important role in mediating E. coli K1 invasion of HBMECs and PMN migration across the blood–brain barrier (Chi et al., 2012); blocking NF-κB signaling can suppress bacterial meningitis (Koedel et al., 2000; Chi et al., 2012).