The tachykinin family consists of amidated neuropeptides that share a carboxy-terminal sequence (Phe-X-Gly-Leu-Met-NH2). Tachykinin peptides have many plieotropic functions including: neurotransmission, immune/hematopoietic modulation, angiogenesis and mitogenesis. Neurokinin B (NKB), also known as TAC3 (tachykinin 3), NKNB or ZNEUROK1, is a 121 amino acid secreted protein that belongs to the tachykinin family and exists as three alternatively spliced isoforms. Expressed primarily in the central and peripheral nervous system, Neurokinin B is also found in the placental outer syncytiotrophoblast and is thought to have a role in pregnancy-induced pre-eclampsia and hypertension. The gene encoding Neurokinin B maps to human chromosome 12, which comprises approximately 4.5% of the human genome. Chromosome 12 is associated with a variety of diseases and afflictions, including hypochondrogenesis, achondrogenesis, Kniest dysplasia, Noonan syndrome and trisomy 12p.