IL-12 and IL-23 cytokines: from discovery to targeted therapies for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

The cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12) was thought to have a central role in T cell-mediated responses in inflammation for more than a decade after it was first identified. Discovery of the cytokine IL-23, which shares a common p40 subunit with IL-12, prompted efforts to clarify the relative contribution of these two cytokines in immune regulation. Ustekinumab, a therapeutic agent targeting both cytokines, was recently approved to treat psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and related agents are in clinical testing for a variety of inflammatory disorders. Here we discuss the therapeutic rationale for targeting these cytokines, the unintended consequences for host defense and tumor surveillance and potential ways in which these therapies can be applied to treat additional immune disorders.