[7] As a cytotoxic protein, LT-α performs a variety of important roles in immune regulation depending on the form that it is secreted as.

[6] LT-α has a significant impact on the maintenance of the immune system including the development of secondary lymphoid organs.

[12] LT-α plays an important role in innate immune regulation and its presence has been shown to prevent tumor growth and destroy cancerous cell lines.

[13] In contrast, unregulated expression of LT-α can result in a constantly active signaling pathway, thus leading to uncontrolled cellular growth and creation of tumors.

[12] Hence depending on the context, LT-α may function to prevent growth of cancer cells or facilitate the development of tumors.

[9][12] However, mice with overexpression of LT-α or LT-β showed increased tumor growth and metastasis in several models of cancer.

[7][12] In other words, LT-α interactions with LT-β receptors can increase anti-tumor effects through direct destruction of tumor cells.

[9][12][13][14] As mentioned previously, LT-α signaling can promote inflammatory responses, but prolonged inflammation can cause serious cellular damage and increase the risk of certain diseases including cancer.

[13] Thus, lymphotoxin and its downstream signaling via the NF-κB pathway illustrate the cytokine's influence on tumor development and metastasis.

[27] In addition to this function, Peyer’s patches facilitate the production Ig-A producing immunocytes, thus increasing the efficacy of the adaptive immune system.

Experiments involving transgenic mice have shown that the absence of LT-α resulted in the lack of Peyer’s patches and other lymph nodes.

[11] Being the most produced immunoglobulin, Ig-A protects against mucosal pathogens by regulating bacterial growth and inhibiting antigen adhesion to the intestine under normal conditions.