TNF-α, also known as tumor necrosis factor or simply TNF, is a cytokine (cell signaling protein) that can induce a wide range of biological effects. It induces its effects by binding with high affinity to the TNFRSF1A (TNFR superfamily receptor member 1A), TNFRSF1B (TNFR superfamily receptor member 1B), and TNFRSF1D (TNFR superfamily receptor member 1D) cell surface receptors, which then signal through NF-kappa B (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) and other transcription factors to induce specific genes.
TNF-alpha, also known as cachectin and lymphotoxin α (LT–α), is a cytokine that belongs to the tnf alpha tumor necrosis factor protein family. TNF-alpha plays an important role in a variety of biological processes, including regulation of inflammatory reactions, cell death, and immune response to infection. TNF-alpha is secreted by macrophages, T cells, mast cells, B cells and fibroblasts stimulated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). TNFα is a human cytokine associated with systemic inflammation and is an integral component of the acute phase reaction. Primarily, activated macrophages produce TNFα, but other cell types such as natural killer cells, mast cells, T helper cells, eosinophils, and neutrophils can also produce TNFα. These cells produce TNFα as a stable 233 amino acid long homotrimer protein from which a metalloprotease, TNFα-converting enzyme proteolytically cleaves and releases a soluble homotrimeric cytokine.
Interferon alpha 2 or IFNα 2 is a human cytokine encoded by the IFNA2 gene. Cells with viral infection secrete IFNα 2 and help other cells inhibit viral attack. In 1957, Alick Isaacs and Jean Lindenmann first described IFNs as a viral replication interfering agent. Type I IFN family has 13 α subtypes, out of which IFNα 2 was the very first subtypes scientists had successfully characterized in the 1980s. Interferon-alpha 2 is a human cytokine encoded by the IFNA2 gene. It helps other cells inhibit viral attack. Also known as IFNα 2, this type I interferon subtype was the very first to be discovered and characterized in the 1980s. Thus, scientists have widely studied IFNα 2 and the alpha interferon function to understand type I IFN family structure and mechanisms.
The interferon alpha 2 (IFNα2) biomarker is a member of the Type I Interferon family. IFNα2 is encoded by the interferon, alpha 2 gene and is also known as Interferon A-inducible protein 16 (IFI16), Lymphocyte-derived inducible protein (LDIP), INFA2 and LeIF A.
Interferon alpha 2 or IFNα 2 is a human cytokine encoded by the IFNA2 gene. IFNA2 gene is present on chromosome 9. IFNα 2 belongs to the type I IFN family. Cells with viral infection secrete IFNα 2 and help other cells inhibit viral attack. In 1957, Alick Isaacs and Jean Lindenmann first described IFNs as a viral replication interfering agent. Type I IFN family has 13 α subtypes, out of which IFNα 2 was the very first subtypes scientists had successfully characterized in the 1980s. Therefore, researchers have widely studied IFNα 2 and the alpha interferon function to understand type I IFN family structure and mechanisms. As a result, the pharmaceutical industry also produced IFNα 2 as the first IFN drug, making it a well-known type I IFN family subtype.