title: The role of IL-18 in innate immunity.
abstract: IL-18 - a novel cytokine with potent IFN-gamma-inducing activities - plays an important role in the Th1-mediated immune response in collaboration with IL-12. IL-18 is a member of the IL-1 family. The IL-18 receptor system and its signal transduction pathway are analogous to those of the IL-1 receptor. Mice deficient in IL-18 have demonstrated its critical role in natural killer cell activity and in vivo Th1 response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Host Defense, CREST of Japan Science and Technology Corporation, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan. sakira@biken.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000494:pharmacology; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053727:Interleukin-18 Receptor alpha Subunit; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053724:Receptors, Interleukin-18; D015398:Signal Transduction; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C508573:Il18r1 protein, mouse; D007375:Interleukin-1; D020382:Interleukin-18; D053727:Interleukin-18 Receptor alpha Subunit; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D053724:Receptors, Interleukin-18; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma