One of the Elisa detection kit is for mouse tumour necrosis factor (TNF) in serum, plasma, and cell culture supernatant is a potent mediator of immune and inflammatory responses
Mouse tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is produced by many activated cell types including monocytes, astrocytes, granulocytes, T and B lymphocytes, NK cells, keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and certain tumor cells.
TNF exerts many regulatory influences on the activation, growth, and differentiation of leukocytes and other cell types.
For example, TNF can co-stimulate differentiation of activated T and B lymphocytes, upregulate the expressed levels of MHC class I and class II molecules by various cells types, and induce the expression of adhesion molecules by endothelial cells.
TNF is also selectively cytotoxic for some transformed cell lines and its cytotoxic effects against certain solid tumours have been reported.
In vivo, TNF serves as a primary mediator in protective immune responses against microbial and viral pathogens.
However, TNF has also been implicated as a central mediator in a number of pathologic responses including septic shock, cachexia, and autoimmune diseases.
Activated cells initially express TNF as transmembrane proteins that associate to form homotrimeric complexes.
After proteolytic cleavage, the extracellular region of membrane TNF sheds as a soluble homotrimer.
Membrane and soluble TNF homotrimers are biologically active whereas monomeric TNF is not.
