title: IL-37: a new anti-inflammatory cytokine of the IL-1 family.
abstract: The IL-1 family of cytokines encompasses eleven proteins that each share a similar β-barrel structure and bind to Ig-like receptors. Some of the IL-1-like cytokines have been well characterised, and play key roles in the development and regulation of inflammation. Indeed, IL-1α (IL-1F1), IL-1β (IL-1F2), and IL-18 (IL-1F4) are well-known inflammatory cytokines active in the initiation of the inflammatory reaction and in driving Th1 and Th17 inflammatory responses. In contrast, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra, IL-1F3) and the receptor antagonist binding to IL-1Rrp2 (IL-36Ra, IL-1F5) reduce inflammation by blocking the binding of the agonist receptor ligands. In the case of IL-37 (IL-1F7), of which five different splice variants have been described, less is known of its function, and identification of the components of a heterodimeric receptor complex remains unclear. Some studies suggest that IL-37 binds to the α chain of the IL-18 receptor in a non-competitive fashion, and this may explain some of the disparate biological effects that have been reported for mice deficient in the IL-18R. The biological properties of IL-37 are mainly those of down-regulating inflammation, as assessed in models where human IL-37 is expressed in mice. In this review, an overview of the role of IL-37 in the regulation of inflammation is presented. The finding that IL-37 also locates to the nucleus, as do IL-1α and IL-33, for receptor-independent organ/tissue-specific regulation of inflammation is also reviewed.
authors: Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Cytokines, Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, I-56124 Pisa, Italy. diana.boraschi@itb.cnr.it
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Boraschi
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Lucchesi
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Hainzl
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Leitner
authors: Elisabeth
authors: E
authors: Maier
authors: Doris
authors: D
authors: Mangelberger
authors: Gertie J
authors: GJ
authors: Oostingh
authors: Tobias
authors: T
authors: Pfaller
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Pixner
authors: Gernot
authors: G
authors: Posselt
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Italiani
authors: Marcel F
authors: MF
authors: Nold
authors: Claudia A
authors: CA
authors: Nold-Petry
authors: Philip
authors: P
authors: Bufler
authors: Charles A
authors: CA
authors: Dinarello
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004194:Disease; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000276:immunology*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000276:immunology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D007375:Interleukin-1; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine