The biology of IL-12: coordinating innate and adaptive immune responses.
Cytokines play critical roles in regulating all aspects of immune responses, including lymphoid development, homeostasis, differentiation, tolerance and memory. Interleukin (IL)-12 is especially important because its expression during infection regulates innate responses and determines the type and duration of adaptive immune response. IL-12 induces interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production by NK, T cells, dendritic cells (DC), and macrophages. IL-12 also promotes the differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells into T helper 1 (Th1) cells that produce IFN-gamma and aid in cell-mediated immunity. As IL-12 is induced by microbial products and regulates the development of adaptive immune cells, IL-12 plays a central role in coordinating innate and adaptive immunity. IL-12 and the recently identified cytokines, IL-23 and IL-27, define a family of related cytokines that induce IFN-gamma production and promote T cell expansion and proliferation.
Watford
Wendy T
WT
Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch, NIAMS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Moriguchi
Masato
M
Morinobu
Akio
A
O'Shea
John J
JJ
D000818:Animals; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000378:metabolism; D053707:Receptors, Interleukin-12; D015398:Signal Transduction
D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D053707:Receptors, Interleukin-12; D018664:Interleukin-12