#  Bruce Horwitz 

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

 

 

 



   ![Horwitz](/sites/g/files/omnuum5411/files/styles/hwp_4_5__480x600/public/2025-01/horwitz_bruce_0.jpg?itok=0-_Ocm20) 

 



 

 location\_on Enders Building, room 675 

 smartphone [617-525-4404](tel:617-525-4404) 

 email <Bruce.Horwitz@childrens.harvard.edu> 

 laptop\_windows [Website](https://www.childrenshospital.org/directory/physicians/h/bruce-horwitz) 

 laptop\_windows [Publications](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Horwitz%2C+Bruce+H&sort=date) 

 

 



 

The major focus of my laboratory is to understand the role of the NF-κB family of transcription factors in regulating innate inflammatory responses. NF-κB is generally thought of as a pro-inflammatory agent. However, work from our laboratory has demonstrated that certain NF-κB subunits inhibit the ability of bacteria to induce inflammation in several models, including mouse models for inflammatory bowel diseases and septic shock. Furthermore, NF-κB subunits also play a major role in limiting the ability of bacteria to induce critical pro-inflammatory genes such as IL-12. One of the mechanisms by which NF-κB subunits appear to inhibit pro-inflammatory gene expression is by facilitating the inhibitory potential of IL-10, a critical product of regulatory T cells. This may explain our observations that regulatory T cells are unable to suppress pathological inflammation in mice that lack NF-κB subunits.  
  
Ongoing projects within the laboratory include elucidating the cellular and biochemical pathways by which NF-κB and IL-10 inhibit inflammatory bowel disease, and understanding the role of NF-κB subunits in regulating septic shock.



 

 

 





 

 

- ## Experimental Approach
    
     [Cellular Immunology](/experimental-approach/cellular-immunology) [Molecular Immunology](/experimental-approach/molecular-immunology) [Transgenic/Knockout Animals](/experimental-approach/transgenicknockout-animals)
- ## Field of Study
    
     [Autoimmunity](/field-study/autoimmunity) [Inflammation](/field-study/inflammation) [Innate Immunity](/field-study/innate-immunity) [Mucosal Immunology](/field-study/mucosal-immunology) [Myeloid Cells](/field-study/myeloid-cells) [Signal Transduction](/field-study/signal-transduction) [Transcription and Gene Regulation](/field-study/transcription-and-gene-regulation)
- ## Location
    
     [Boston Children's Hospital](/location/boston-childrens-hospital)
- ## Organism
    
     [Human](/organism/human) [Mouse](/organism/mouse)
- ## People
    
     [Faculty](/people/faculty)