Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Visualization of IL-22-expressing Lymphocytes Using Reporter Mice
10:30

Visualization of IL-22-expressing Lymphocytes Using Reporter Mice

Published on: January 25, 2017

Distinct roles of IL-22 in human psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease

Wenjun Ouyang1

  • 1Department of Immunology, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, M/S 34, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA. ouyang@gene.com

Cytokine & Growth Factor Reviews
|November 26, 2010
PubMed

IL-22, an IL-10 family cytokine, is produced by different leukocyte subsets, including T cells, NK cells and lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells. IL-22 mediates the crosstalk between leukocytes and tissue epithelia because its receptor is preferentially expressed on various tissue epithelial cells. IL-22 is essential for host defense against infections of extracellular pathogens, such as bacteria and yeasts, by eliciting various innate defensive mechanisms from tissue epithelial cells and promoting wound-healing responses. In autoimmune diseases, however, diverse tissue microenvironments and underlying pathogenic mechanisms may result in opposing contributions of IL-22 in disease progression. For example, in psoriasis, IL-22 can synergize with other proinflammatory cytokines to induce many of the pathogenic phenotypes from keratinocytes and exacerbate disease progression. In contrast, IL-22 plays a beneficial role in IBD by enhancing barrier integrity and epithelial innate immunity of intestinal tract.

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