Progress in the Research of HMGB1 as a Proinflammatory Cytokine

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome is still the main cause of death in critically ill patients.Recently,the traditional DNA-binding protein HMGB1 was discovered as a potent proinflammatory cytokine.HMGB1 can be both actively secreted by monocytes /macrophages stimulated with proinflammatory cytokines and passively released by necrotic cells.It activates inflammatory cells,making them aggregate in inflammatory sites,promoting the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and leading to tissue injury.Therapies targeting HMGB1 will expand the scope for the clinical treatment of severely infected patients,therefore have great significance.The role of HMGB1 as a proinflammatory cytokine is one of the hot topics in the researches of inflammatory injury.