Interleukin-15 promotes angiogenesis in vivo.
IL-15, a cytokine with biological functions on cells of lymphoid lineage similar to those of IL-2, mediates its activities through the beta and gamma chains of the IL-2/15R and its own alpha chain. Unlike IL-2, IL-15 also binds to endothelial cells with high affinity. We report here that IL-15 is a stimulator of angiogenesis in vivo. When injected subcutaneously into nude mice, IL-15 consistently induced neovascularization of Matrigel plugs. Endothelial cells were found to express the IL-15R alpha chain and the IL-2/15R beta and common gamma chains. IL-15 induced the rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins in endothelial cells, but did not stimulate endothelial cell proliferation in vitro. These findings document a previously unrecognized biological property of IL-15 and emphasize the role of IL-15 as an important mediator outside the immune system.
Angiolillo
A L
AL
Department of Hematology/Oncology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
Kanegane
H
H
Sgadari
C
C
Reaman
G H
GH
Tosato
G
G
D000818:Animals; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D053647:Receptors, Interleukin-15; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism
C508025:Il15ra protein, mouse; D019409:Interleukin-15; D053647:Receptors, Interleukin-15; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2