Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a pleiotropic cytokine that orchestrates an array of local and systemic effects. For instance, acute exposure to a high dose of TNF-α results in septic shock and fever. We have used interleukin-1β (IL-1β)- and interleukin-6 (IL-6)-deficient mice, along with their wild-type equivalents, to define a role for TNF-α in fever. Briefly, the mice produced prostagland...

Biologic tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors do not cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). A BBB-penetrating TNF-α inhibitor was engineered by fusion of the extracellular domain of the type II human TNF receptor (TNFR) to the carboxyl terminus of the heavy chain of a mouse/rat chimeric monoclonal antibody (MAb) against the mouse transferrin receptor (TfR), and this fusion protein is designat...

Murine models of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have shown apparently contradictory evidence in that either (a) tumor necrosis factor (TNF) expression was low and TNF administration helpful or (b) TNF was high and TNF blockade of therapeutic benefit, depending on the mouse model investigated. In fact, TNF apparently has both effects, checking autoimmunity, at least to some degree, and foste...

The mechanism of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced nonapoptotic cell death is largely unknown, although the mechanism of TNF-induced apoptosis has been studied extensively. In wild-type mouse embryonic fibroblast cells under a caspase-inhibited condition, TNF effectively induced cell death that morphologically resembled necrosis. In this study, we utilized gene knockout mouse embryonic fibrob...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the possible role of mononuclear cells and their products in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy, in vitro expression of ICAM-1 on cultured mouse mesangial cell (MC) was examined after stimulation with mononuclear cell culture supernatant from patients with IgA nephropathy. METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated and cultured from 18 patients ...

BACKGROUND In addition to immune cells, many other cell types are known to produce cytokines. Cultured normal mouse gallbladder epithelial cells, used as a model system for gallbladder epithelium, were examined for their ability to express the mRNA of various cytokines and chemokines in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide. The synthesis and secretion of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF...

Recent clinical evidence demonstrated the importance of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the development of Crohn's disease. A mouse model for this pathology has previously been established by engineering defects in the translational control of TNF mRNA (Tnf(Delta)(ARE) mouse). Here, we show that development of intestinal pathology in this model depends on Th1-like cytokines such as interleukin 1...

Inflammation is associated with blood vessel and lymphatic vessel proliferation and remodeling. The microvasculature of the mouse trachea provides an ideal opportunity to study this process, as Mycoplasma pulmonis infection of mouse airways induces widespread and sustained vessel remodeling, including enlargement of capillaries into venules and lymphangiogenesis. Although the mediators responsi...

George Kollias has pioneered genetic approaches to study the function of cytokines in animal models of human diseases, with specific focus on Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF). He is renowned for providing the scientific basis for TNF function in arthritis and for establishing the human TNF transgenic mouse model, which mimics the human disease. His discoveries led to the successful introduction of b...

In previous studies, the mechanisms of acute liver injury and virus exclusion have been examined using a model wherein HBsAgspecific CTL are injected into HBsAg transgenic (Tg) mice. The importance of the role of TNFin virus exclusion was shown, but its role in liver injury was unclear. We crossed the TNFknockout mouse and HBsAg-Tg mouse to establish the HBsAgTg/TNFKO mouse, and examined the in...