4-1BB ligand (4-1BBL) is a type II transmembrane protein that is part of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand family. As an inducible co-stimulatory molecule, it presents on several antigen presenting cell (APC) types, including B cells, macrophages and DCs. The interactions between 4-1BB and 4-1BBL trigger pleiotropic effects on the immune response including antigen presenting process, proliferation of CD4 and CD8 positive T-cells, as well as cytokine secretion from T-cells through NFkappaB, c-Jun, and p38 downstream signal pathways activation.Therefore, 4-1BB and 4-1BBL are recently used for the immunotherapy of cancer.
