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Interleukin‐24 and its receptors
Author(s) -
Wang Mai,
Liang Peng
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2005.02094.x
Subject(s) - receptor , biology , cytokine , interleukin 20 , stat , cytokine receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , haematopoiesis , psoriasis , transcription factor , interleukin , immunology , signal transduction , cancer research , stem cell , interleukin 5 , gene , genetics , stat3
Summary Interleukin 24 (IL‐24) is a new member of the IL‐10 family of cytokines and it signals through two heterodimeric receptors: IL‐20R1/IL‐20R2 and IL‐22R1/IL‐20R2. Upon binding to its receptors, IL‐24 induces rapid activation of Stat‐1 and Stat‐3 transcription factors, which appear to play a role in cell survival and proliferation. Under physiological conditions, the major sources of IL‐24 are the activated monocytes and T helper 2 cells, whereas the major IL‐24 target tissues, based on the receptor expression pattern, are non‐haematopoietic in origin, and include skin, lung and reproductive tissues. Structurally and functionally, IL‐24 is highly conserved across species. This review highlights our current knowledge of IL‐24 as a cytokine, with much less emphasis placed on the non‐receptor‐mediated functions (a subject of several reviews) focused on in much of the earlier literature on IL‐24. The potential roles of IL‐24 as part of a complex cytokine network in wound healing, psoriasis and cancer are discussed.