TNF and diabetic retinopathy: CK2 function is directly associated with TNF-α and p38 signaling to mediate inflammatory processes as demonstrated in context of stress-induced human cervical carcinoma cells and diabetic retinopathy in retinal ECs (Sayed et al., 2000; Litchfield, 2003; Meggio and Pinna, 2003; Zhang and Steinle, 2014).