Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Wang L
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3111309 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20110518 23
IL-21 is a pleiotropic type 1 cytokine that shares the common cytokine receptor γ-chain, γ(c), with IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-15. IL-21 is most homologous to IL-2. These cytokines are encoded by adjacent genes, but they are functionally distinct. Whereas IL-2 promotes development of regulatory T cells and confers protection from autoimmune disease, IL-21 promotes differentiation of Th17 cells and is implicated in several autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes and systemic lupus eryt ...[more]