The light and the dark sides of Interleukin-10 in immune-mediated diseases and cancer.

IL-10 is generally considered a tolerogenic and anti-inflammatory cytokine, because it blocks the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the capacity of myeloid cells to efficiently activate T-cells [1,2]. Indeed, the production of IL-10 by T-cells is considered a hallmark of a subset of regulatory T-cells that inhibit or dampen immune responses [3,4]. However, as is the case for many other cytokines, the action of IL-10 is more complex and can have both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on different types of immune responses [5], depending on the cellular source of IL-10, the timing of its secretion and the type of immune cells that receives signals via the IL-10R.

Source: Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews - March 7, 2016 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Jens Geginat, Paola Larghi, Moira Paroni, Giulia Nizzoli, Alessandra Penatti, Massimiliano Pagani, Nicola Gagliani, Pierluigi Meroni, Sergio Abrignani, Richard Flavell Tags: Mini review Source Type: research