TNF-beta

TNF-β is a potent mediator of inflammatory and immune responses. It belongs to the TNF family of ligands and signals through TNFR1 and TNFR2. TNF-β is produced by activated T and B lymphocytes, and has similar activities to TNF-α. Like TNF-α, TNF-β is involved in the regulation of various biological processes including cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, lipid metabolism, coagulation, and neurotransmission. TNF-β is secreted as a soluble polypeptide, but can form heterotrimers with lymphotoxin-β, which effectively anchors the TNF-β to the cell surface. TNF-β is cytotoxic to a wide range of tumor cells. Recombinant human TNF-β is a secreted 171 amino acid protein (18.6 kDa) which forms an active non-disulfide linked homotrimer structure in solution.