title: Interleukin-12 an integral cytokine in the immune response.
abstract: Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine that is produced primarily by antigen-presenting cells and plays a primary role in the induction of cell-mediated immunity. This function is promoted by the IL-12 induced production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) from both resting and activated NK and T cells, by the proliferative activity of IL-12 on activated NK and T cells, by enhancing the cytotoxic activity of NK cells, and by supporting cytotoxic T lymphocyte generation. IL-12 and IL-12-induced IFN-gamma promote the development of naive T cells into Th1 cells and the proliferation and IFN-gamma secretion by differentiated Th1 cells in response to antigen. IL-12 has been found to exhibit many of these activities in vivo, as well as in vitro, and thus IL-12 plays an important role in both innate resistance and antigen-specific adaptive immunity to intracellular bacterial, fungal, and protozoan pathogens. Due to its effects on T cells, recombinant IL-12 has been shown to have therapeutic activity in a variety of mouse tumor and infectious disease models and is being evaluated in clinical trials in human cancer patients. IL-12 also appears to play a role in the genesis of some forms of immunopathology, including endotoxin-induced shock and some autoimmune diseases associated with aberrant Th1 activity. Therefore, IL-12 antagonists may also have therapeutic potential in the treatment of auto immune disorders.
authors.affiliation: Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. Nutley, NJ 07110-1199, USA.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Magram
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Presky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009181:Mycoses / Q000276:immunology; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000276:immunology; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000502:physiology; D053707:Receptors, Interleukin-12; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D053707:Receptors, Interleukin-12; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma