Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that activates NF-κB, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT pathways. Activated T cells and macrophages are the primary producers of TNF-α in response to inflammation and infectious conditions. Many other cell types have been shown to produce TNF-α, among them B cells, NK cells, mast cells, neutrophils, dendritic cells, microglia, endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, cardiomyocytes, and fibroblasts. TNF-α has cytotoxic effects on cancerous cells by stimulating anti-tumor immunosuppressive responses. TNF-α stimulates expression of E- and P-selectins, thus facilitating adhesion of neutrophils, monocytes, and memory T cells to activated platelets and endothelial cells (Zelová and Hošek). Other effects of TNF-α include vasodilatation and edema formation. in vitro studies of adult rat neural progenitor cells (NPCs) demonstrate that TNF-α reduces neurogenesis in dentate gyrus-derived NPCs, and promotes astrogliogenesis in subventricular zone-derived NPCs (Borsini et al.).