| Type: | Family | Name: | Tumour necrosis factor receptor 8 |
| Description: | The tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor (TNFR) superfamily comprises more than 20 type-I transmembrane proteins. Family members are defined based on similarity in their extracellular domain - a region that contains many cysteine residues arranged in a specific repetitive pattern []. The cysteines allow formation of an extended rod-like structure, responsible for ligand binding []. Upon receptor activation, different intracellular signalling complexes are assembled for different members of the TNFR superfamily, depending on their intracellular domains and sequences []. Activation of TNFRs can therefore induce a range of disparate effects, including cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, or apoptotic cell death, depending upon the receptor involved [, ]. TNFRs are widely distributed and play important roles in many crucial biological processes, such as lymphoid and neuronal development, innate and adaptive immunity, and maintenance of cellular homeostasis []. Drugs that manipulate their signalling have potential roles in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, such as viral infections, coronary heart disease, transplant rejection, and immune disease []. TNF receptor 8 (also known as CD30 and Ki-1 antigen) was originally described as a marker of Hodgkin's and Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin's lymphoma. Expression of the receptor is largely restricted to virus-infected lymphocytes, neoplasms of lymphoid origin and a subset of activated T cells that produce Th2-type cytokines []. The receptor has pleiotropic biological functions, including inducement apoptosis and enhancement of cell survival []. | Short Name: | TNFR_8 |
