HumanKine recombinant human IL-1 alpha protein

IL-1 alpha is a dual function cytokine that can function both as a transcription factor and a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) in innate immune responses. It is expressed by many cell types and its expression is increased when cells are exposed to growth factors, pro-inflammatory, and stress-related signals. In its pro-form, IL-1 alpha contains a nuclear localization signal that allows it to translocate to the nucleus and bind to DNA, resulting in either the increase or prohibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. When cells are exposed to necrotic signals, mature IL-1 alpha is released from the cell lysates and triggers a strong pro-inflammatory response upon binding to its receptor on nearby cells. Due to its strongly pro-inflammatory nature, IL-1 alpha has been linked to tumor metastasis and lower median survival in several cancers (PMID: 27434011, 29247995).