Review

Role of TNFα in pulmonary pathophysiology

Srirupa Mukhopadhyay , John R Hoidal and Tapan K Mukherjee

Pulmonary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah Health Science Center, Salt Lake City, Utah: 84132-4701, USA

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Respiratory Research 2006, 7:125doi:10.1186/1465-9921-7-125

Published:	11 October 2006

Abstract

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) is the most widely studied pleiotropic cytokine of the TNF superfamily. In pathophysiological conditions, generation of TNFα at high levels leads to the development of inflammatory responses that are hallmarks of many diseases. Of the various pulmonary diseases, TNFα is implicated in asthma, chronic bronchitis (CB), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In addition to its underlying role in the inflammatory events, there is increasing evidence for involvement of TNFα in the cytotoxicity. Thus, pharmacological agents that can either suppress the production of TNFα or block its biological actions may have potential therapeutic value against a wide variety of diseases. Despite some immunological side effects, anti-TNFα therapeutic strategies represent an important breakthrough in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and may have a role in pulmonary diseases characterized by inflammation and cell death.