Lymphotoxin-alpha (LTA), a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family of cytokines, was initially isolated on the basis of an anti-tumor activity. LTA plays a key role in communication between lymphocytes and stromal cells, thereby eliciting cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. It induces the expression of vascular cell-adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1) on vascular endothelial cells and recruits natural killer (NK) cells to parenchymal organs and tumor lesions.
Background References
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2. Kobayashi Y., Miyamoto D., Asada M., Obinata M., Osawa T.; "Cloning and expression of human lymphotoxin mRNA derived from a human T cell hybridoma."; J. Biochem. 100:727-733(1986).
3. Messer G., Spengler U., et al. "Polymorphic structure of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) locus: an NcoI polymorphism in the first intron of the human TNF-beta gene correlates with a variant amino acid in position 26 and a reduced level of TNF-beta production."; J. Exp. Med. 173:209-219(1991).