What is Tumor Necrosis Factor or TNF?
When the immune system is activated resulting in inflammation many chemical messengers are released. These chemical messengers are produced by the cells of the immune system and are called cytokines. These cytokines interact with other cells encouraging them to become activated and thus make the inflammation worse. TNF is one of the most important cytokines involved in this process. The term Tumor Necrosis Factor refers to one of its actions which led to its discovery.
