Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFα), is an inflammatory cytokine produced by macrophages/monocytes during acute inflammation and is responsible for a diverse range of signaling events within cells, leading to necrosis or apoptosis. The protein is also important for angiogenesis that is critical to the growth, progression, and metastasis of solid tumors.  Furthermore, TNFα is associated with obesity.  It is chronically elevated in adipose tissues of obese rodents and humans and may represent an important link between obesity and insulin resistance.  In both obese mice and humans, TNFα is overexpressed in adipose tissue. TNFα inhibits insulin signaling, at least in part by blocking insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity and inducing serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1). However, it is unclear what the physiological stimulator of TNFα production by adipocyte during obesity is and how IRS-1 inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity of the insulin receptor after TNFα treatment of the cells. A better understanding of the connection(s) between the TNFα and the insulin signaling pathways could be important to find a cure for the state of insulin resistance observed during obesity.
 
Detection Range:
    16 - 1000 pg/mL
Sensitivity:
    8 pg/mL