Description
Product Characteristics: TNF-alpha is a cytokine produced by monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, NK cells, CD4+ T cells and many transformed cells. It can be expressed as a 17 kDa free molecule, or as a 26 kDa membrane protein. TNF-alpha easily forms stable trimers, but also other multimeric complexes. In the immune system, it is an important regulator, which has cytolytic and cytostatic activity against a range of tumor cells, increases fibroblast proliferation and supports neutrophil chemotaxis and phagocytosis.
Target Information: This gene encodes a multifunctional proinflammatory cytokine that belongs to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily. This cytokine is mainly secreted by macrophages. It can bind to, and thus functions through its receptors TNFRSF1A/TNFR1 and TNFRSF1B/TNFBR. This cytokine is involved in the regulation of a wide spectrum of biological processes including cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, lipid metabolism, and coagulation. This cytokine has been implicated in a variety of diseases, including autoimmune diseases, insulin resistance, and cancer. Knockout studies in mice also suggested the neuroprotective function of this cytokine. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]