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Published on: January 25, 2017
Interleukin-21 in T cell-mediated diseases
Giovanni Monteleone1, Massimiliano Sarra, Francesco Pallone
1Internal Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome 00133, Italy.
Abstract:
Interleukin-21 (IL-21), a cytokine produced by activated CD4+ T cells, activated natural killer T cells, and T follicular cells, has been reported to play a crucial role in the tissue-damaging T cell response in various organs, such as gut, skin, pancreas, and joints. This pathogenic effect is strictly linked to the ability of IL-21 to enhance the functional activities of multiple immune and non-immune cells. Consistently, studies from various laboratories have shown that blockade of IL-21 limits the progression of T cell-mediated inflammatory diseases in mice. Here we review the present knowledge on the expression and role of IL-21 in T cell-mediated pathologies.
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