title: Tumor necrosis factor.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a critical cytokine, which contributes to both physiological and pathological processes. This mini-review will briefly touch the history of TNF discovery, its family members and its biological and pathological functions. Then, it will focus on new findings on the molecular mechanisms of how TNF triggers activation of the NF-κB and AP-1 pathways, which are critical for expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as the MLKL cascade, which is critical for the generation of ROS in response to TNF. Finally, this review will briefly summarize recent advances in understanding TNF-induced cell survival, apoptosis and necrosis (also called necroptosis). Understanding new findings and emerging concepts will impact future research on the molecular mechanisms of TNF signaling in immune disorders and cancer-related inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, 651 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA. wchu@cc.hawaii.edu
authors.forename: Wen-Ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D000079424:Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000079424:Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors