IL-21 and autoimmune disease--hypothesis and reality?
Previous data have indicated that IL-21 and/or IL-21R are crucial for the differentiation of naïve T cells into Th17 cells and also play a key role in the development of autoimmune disease. Given this, IL-21 and/or IL-21R are potential targets for therapy of such diseases; however, a study in this issue of the European Journal of Immunology, provides a new twist in the story as it is now shown that IL-21 and/or IL-21R play no role in Th17 development or autoimmune inflammatory disease. The reasons for these contradictory data are discussed in this Commentary.
Medical Inflammation Research, BMC I11, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. Rikard.Holmdahl@ki.se
Rikard
R
Holmdahl
D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D053655:Receptors, Interleukin-21 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000098546:Interleukin-21
D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D053655:Receptors, Interleukin-21; D000098546:Interleukin-21