[The progresses of research on SOCS family in the central nervous system]

The suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) are a family of proteins that function as negative regulators of cytokine signaling pathways, involved in the cellular actions of many types of cytokines, growth factors, and hormones. Cytokines modulate a wide variety of biological responses in the central nervous system (CNS). SOCS genes are constitutively expressed in the developing and adult brain. It is suggested that members of the SOCS family might not only play crucial roles in regulating cytokine signaling in both normal and disease states, but also act as important modulators during development and differentiation of CNS. Therefore, they may be involved in the modulation of neuroimmunoendocrine processes. Here we summarized the recent progresses about the discovery and characteristics of SOCS genes, their distribution and functions in the CNS.