Interleukin-23 (IL-23)-IL-17 Cytokine Axis in Murine Pneumocystis carinii Infection

Interleukin-23 (IL-23)-IL-17 cytokine axis in murine Pneumocystis carinii infection.

Host defense mechanisms against Pneumocystis carinii are not fully understood. Previous work in the murine model has shown that host defense against infection is critically dependent upon host CD4(+) T cells. The recently described Th17 immune response is predominantly a function of effector CD4(+) T cells stimulated by interleukin-23 (IL-23), but whether these cells are required for defense ag...

The IL-23/IL-17 axis in inflammation.

IL-23 induces the differentiation of naive CD4(+) T cells into highly pathogenic helper T cells (Th17/Th(IL-17)) that produce IL-17, IL-17F, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, but not IFN-gamma and IL-4. Two studies in this issue of the JCI demonstrate that blocking IL-23 or its downstream factors IL-17 and IL-6, but not the IL-12/IFN-gamma pathways, can significantly suppress disease development in animal m...

The Role of IL-23/IL-17 Axis in Lupus

The IL-23/IL-17 axis in psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disease, affecting both the skin and joints. Disease progression is associated with aberrant cytokine expression, and TNF blockade is the most successful therapy to date. However, not all patients are responsive to anti-TNF treatment, highlighting the need to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern ...

The IL-23/IL-17 axis as a therapeutic target.

T helper (Th) cells are known to differentiate into several distinct subsets depending on their environment. The Interleukin 17 (IL-17)-producing subset Th17, which was reported and named in 2005, has been extensively analyzed because a strong association with inflammatory disorders has been suggested. The condition in which Th17 cells are differentiated, critical transcription factors, and sim...