Adalimumab, the first fully human monoclonal antibody drug approved by FDA, binds to TNFalpha, inactivates TNF receptors, and downregulates the inflammatory reactions associated with a variety of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis, moderate to severe chronic psoriasis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.Mainly produced by activated macrophages (M1), Tumor necrosis factor (TNF, cachexin, cachectin, tumor necrosis factor alpha, TNFalpha) plays important roles in the regulation of immune cells. As a member of a group of cytokines that stimulate the acute phase reaction, TNF is involved in systemic inflammation and able to induce fever, apoptotic cell death, cachexia, inflammation, and to inhibit tumorigenesis and viral replication and respond to sepsis via IL1 & IL6 producing cells. Dysregulation of TNF expression could have serious impact in a variety of human diseases including Alzheimers disease, cancer, major depression and inflammatory bowel disease.
