Inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit alpha (IKK-α) also known as IKK1 or conserved helix-loop-helix ubiquitous kinase (CHUK) is a protein kinase that in humans is encoded by the CHUKgene.[5] IKK-α is part of the IκB kinase complex that plays an important role in regulating the NF-κB transcription factor.[6] However, IKK-α has many additional cellular targets, and is thought to function independently of the NF-κB pathway to regulate epidermaldifferentiation.[7][8]