title: Interleukin-24 and its receptors.
abstract: Interleukin 24 (IL-24) is a new member of the IL-10 family of cytokines and it signals through two heterodimeric receptors: IL-20R1/IL-20R2 and IL-22R1/IL-20R2. Upon binding to its receptors, IL-24 induces rapid activation of Stat-1 and Stat-3 transcription factors, which appear to play a role in cell survival and proliferation. Under physiological conditions, the major sources of IL-24 are the activated monocytes and T helper 2 cells, whereas the major IL-24 target tissues, based on the receptor expression pattern, are non-haematopoietic in origin, and include skin, lung and reproductive tissues. Structurally and functionally, IL-24 is highly conserved across species. This review highlights our current knowledge of IL-24 as a cytokine, with much less emphasis placed on the non-receptor-mediated functions (a subject of several reviews) focused on in much of the earlier literature on IL-24. The potential roles of IL-24 as part of a complex cytokine network in wound healing, psoriasis and cancer are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
authors.forename: Mai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000502:physiology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000276:immunology; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology; D000099180:Interleukin-24
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D000099180:Interleukin-24; C492510:interleukin-20 receptor