TNF-alpha Is not a Miscreant: A Hero for Basal Nrf2-Antioxidant Signaling

About three decades of intensive research suggest that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a "miscreant". Although it is obvious that supra-physiological TNF-α levels are deleterious to cellular activities leading to a variety of pathological conditions, it is unlikely that complete removal of TNF-α is cytoprotective. Are we rejecting the basal physiological role of TNF-α as a reactive oxygen species (ROS) producer that is key and essential for numerous basal cell signaling processes? We believe that there are important protective roles for TNF-α under basal/physiological conditions. We propose that one such role is that of signaling through nuclear erythroid 2 p45 related factor-2/antioxidant response element (Nrf2/ARE). Confirming our hypothesis that TNF-α is necessary and sufficient for the basal activation of Nrf2/ARE transcriptional pathways, will change the existing paradigms on the function of TNF-α. This article briefly reviews the canonical role of TNF-α as miscreant and introduces a new role as a hero in the context of Nrf2-antioxidant signaling.