New developments on the TNFα-mediated signalling pathways.
TNFα (tumour necrosis factor α) is an extensively studied pleiotropic cytokine associated with the pathogenesis of a variety of inflammatory diseases. It elicits a wide spectrum of cellular responses which mediates and regulates inflammation, immune response, cell survival, proliferation and apoptosis. TNFα initiates its responses by binding to its receptors. TNFα-induced effector responses are mediated by the actions and interactions among the various intracellular signalling mediators in the cell. TNFα induces both survival and apoptotic signal in a TRADD (TNF receptor-associated DD)-dependent and -independent way. The signals are further transduced via a variety of signalling mediators, including caspases, MAPKs (mitogen-activated protein kinases), phospholipid mediators and miRNA/miR (microRNA), whose roles in specific functional responses is not fully understood. Elucidating the complexity and cross talks among signalling mediators involved in the TNFα-mediated responses will certainly aid in the identification of molecular targets, which can potentially lead to the development of novel therapeutics to treat TNFα-associated disorders and in dampening inflammation.
Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Swaminathan
S
Sethu
Alirio J
AJ
Melendez
D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008024:Ligands; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008024:Ligands; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha