Mechanism of the biological effect of the tumor necrosis factor-аlpha at psoriasis
Among different cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-аlpha (tumor necrosis factor α, TNF-α) plays a special role in psoriatic immunopathogenesis. Data on this cytokine collected for the recent decades made it possible to create a number of biological drugs blocking TNF-α, which are successfully applied in clinical practice for treating medium to severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. This review presents general information about the cytokine structure and its receptor apparatus, regulation mechanisms of TNF-α synthesis and ways of signal transmission as the basis needed to implement the biological effects of cytokine in the development of psoriatic skin affections.