Goh C R
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, National University of Singapore.
Ann Acad Med Singap. 1990 Mar;19(2):235-9.
The tumour necrosis factors are pleiotropic proteins which have a wide range of biological activities. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha or cachectin is a product of macrophages and is the principal host mediator of septic shock and the cachexia of chronic disease. A related molecule, tumour necrosis factor-beta or lymphotoxin, is produced by T lymphocytes in response to antigen or mitogens. The role of the TNFs in disease processes and in therapy are reviewed. Both agents exert antiproliferative effects on certain tumour cell lines, while normal cells are resistant to these effects. In vivo, they cause haemorrhagic necrosis of certain implantable tumours in mice. Trials of tumour necrosis factor-alpha as an anticancer agent, either singly or in combination with interferon gamma or cytotoxic drugs, are in progress. Understanding the involvement of the tumour necrosis factors in pathological processes may lead to new therapies for endotoxic shock and cancer.
肿瘤坏死因子是具有广泛生物学活性的多效性蛋白质。肿瘤坏死因子-α或恶病质素是巨噬细胞的产物，是脓毒症休克和慢性疾病恶病质的主要宿主介质。一种相关分子，肿瘤坏死因子-β或淋巴毒素，是T淋巴细胞在对抗抗原或促细胞分裂剂时产生的。本文综述了肿瘤坏死因子在疾病过程和治疗中的作用。这两种因子对某些肿瘤细胞系均有抗增殖作用，而正常细胞对这些作用具有抗性。在体内，它们可导致小鼠体内某些可植入肿瘤发生出血性坏死。肿瘤坏死因子-α作为抗癌药物单独或与干扰素γ或细胞毒性药物联合使用的试验正在进行中。了解肿瘤坏死因子在病理过程中的作用可能会为内毒素休克和癌症带来新的治疗方法。
