TAK1 safeguards endothelial cells from gut microbes and inflammation

Abstract

How endothelial cells (ECs) survive in inflammatory environments remains unclear. We recently showed that TAK1 protects ECs against apoptosis induced by TNFα under physiological conditions in the intestine and liver, and under inflammatory conditions in other organs. Our results document that a single gene can affect cell fate decisions in mature ECs.

Keywords

• tak1
• endothelial cell
• tnfα
• apoptosis
• intestinal microbe
• inflammation
• tumor angiogenesis