Definition of "tumor necrosis factor" []

• A protein produced by macrophages in the presence of an endotoxin and shown experimentally to be capable of attacking and destroying cancerous tumors. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "They found that cutting calories reduced two significant effects of aging, a thyroid hormone called triiodothyronine, which has been shown to help control cellular metabolism and energy balance in the body, and an inflammatory molecule called tumor necrosis factor alpha."