Title: The IL-12 Family of Heterodimeric Cytokines
Abstract: Originally the only known heterodimeric cytokine, IL-12 is now part of a family of five cytokines and shares important functions in the regulation of both innate and adaptive immunity with two of them, IL-23 and IL-27. Although initially these three cytokines were considered to have largely overlapping immunological functions, more recent studies, including two articles in this issue of Immunity (Hamano et al. 2003Hamano S. Himeno K. Ishii K. Yamanaka A. Miyazaki Y. Takeda A. Zhang M. Hisaeda H. Mak T.W. Yoshimura A. Yoshida H. WSX-1 is required for resistance to Trypanosoma cruzi infection by regulation of proinflammatory cytokine production.Immunity. 2003; 19 (, this issue): 657-667Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (223) Google Scholar, Villarino et al. 2003Villarino A.V. Hibbert L. Lieberman L. Wilson E. Mak T. Yoshida H. Kastelein R. Saris C. Hunter C.A. The IL-27R (WSX-1) is required to suppress T cell hyperactivity during infection.Immunity. 2003; 19 (, this issue): 645-655Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (380) Google Scholar), indicate that they mediate complex and well-differentiated functions.