Recombinant Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha

**Semantic type:** Chemical Viewed Functionally

**Definition:** A recombinant therapeutic agent which is chemically identical to or similar to the endogenous cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha with antineoplastic properties. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha binds to and activates "death receptors" on the cell surface, resulting in apoptosis and cell death by the p53-independent extrinsic pathway. This agent also disrupts tumor vascularization. (NCI04)

**Synonyms:** - Cachectin - SONERMIN - TNF-Alpha - TNFA - Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-alpha)