Cardiotrophin-1: a multifunctional cytokine that signals via LIF receptor-gp 130 dependent pathways

In a search for novel factors that induce cardiac myocyte hypertrophy, cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) was identified by coupling expression cloning with an embryonic stem cell-based model of cardiogenesis. CT-1 is a new member of the IL-6 family of cytokines that induce their biological effects through the shared signaling subunit, gp 130. The expression pattern of CT-1 and its range of activities in the hematopoietic, neuronal, and developmental assays suggest that CT-1 may play an important role in other organ systems, in addition to its actions in cardiac development and hypertrophy.