title: TNF activity and T cells.
abstract: TNF (tumor necrosis factor) is both a pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine that is central to the development of autoimmune disease, cancer, and protection against infectious pathogens. As well as a myriad other activities, TNF can be a product of T cells and can act on T cells. Here we review old and new data on the importance of TNF produced by T cells and how TNF signaling via TNFR2 may directly impact alternate aspects of T cell biology. TNF can promote the activation and proliferation of naïve and effector T cells, but also can induce apoptosis of highly activated effector T cells, further determining the size of the pathogenic or protective conventional T cell pool. Moreover, TNF can have divergent effects on regulatory T cells. It can both downregulate their suppressive capacity, but also contribute in other instances to their development or accumulation. Biologics that block TNF or stimulate TNFR2 therefore have the potential to strongly modulate the balance between effector T cells and Treg cells which could impact disease in both positive and negative manners.
authors.affiliation: La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, Division of Immune Regulation, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
authors.forename: Amit K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.affiliation: La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, Division of Immune Regulation, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
authors.forename: Donald T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Gracias
authors.affiliation: La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, Division of Immune Regulation, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States. Electronic address: mick@lji.org.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Croft
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007249:Inflammation; D051379:Mice; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / Q000276:immunology; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / Q000276:immunology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
keywords: T cells; TNF; TNFR1; TNFR2; Treg