TNF and infection: Recently, we showed that the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and IL-1β, secreted in response to several types of infections [53] by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs)-expressing cells, cooperate with BM-MSCs in creating a favorable niche for ETV6-RUNX1-expressing cells and predisposing them to transformation through increased DNA damage [17].