TNF and lupus nephritis: Intriguing evidence of emodin on renal injury derived from the research of Yuan and colleagues in a mouse model of lupus nephritis demonstrates that this molecule significantly reduced renal damage through the down-regulation of TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1) and, consequently, led to a reduction in the infiltration of immune cells into the kidneys.