CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF, TNF-a, cachectin) is a pleiotropic, proinflammatory cytokine with multiple biological effects, many of which are not yet fully understood. Although TNF was initially described as an anti-tumor agent more than three decades ago, current knowledge places it central to immune system homeostasis. TNF plays a critical role in host defense against infection, as well as an inhibitory role in autoimmune disease. However, TNF overproduction generates deleterious effects by inducing the transcription of genes involved in acute and chronic inflammatory responses including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn´s disease, and psoriasis. Direct inhibition of TNF by biologics, such as monoclonal antibodies and circulating TNF receptor constructs, has produced effective treatments for these disorders and validated the inhibition of this proinflammatory cytokine as an effective therapy.