Abstract
Members of the interleukin 12 (IL-12) family have been known to be inflammatory factors since their discovery. The IL-12 family consists of IL-12, IL-23, IL-27, IL-35, and a new member, IL-39, which has recently been identified and has not yet been studied extensively. Current literature has described the mechanisms of immunity of these cytokines and potential uses for therapy and medical cures. IL-12 was found first and is effective in combatting a wide range of naturally occurring viral infections through the upregulation of various cytokines to clear the infected cells. IL-23 has an essential function in immune networks, can induce IL-17 production, and can antagonize inhibition from IL-12 in the presence of T helper (Th) 17 cells, resulting in type II IFN (IFN-γ) regulation. IL-27 has a competitive relationship to IL-35 because they both include the same subunit, the Epstein–Barr virus-induced gene3 (EBi3). This review provides a simple introduction to the IL-12 family and focuses on their functions relevant to their actions to counteract viral infections.
Highlights
All members of the interleukin 12 (IL-12) cytokine family consist of two kinds of subunits: an α-and a β-cytokine subunit
The existing literature reveals the importance of the IL-12 family of cytokines, including IL-12, IL-23, IL-27, IL-35, and IL-39
These cytokines play a role in resistance to both viruses and bacteria, this review focuses on their activity against viral infection
Summary
All members of the IL-12 cytokine family consist of two kinds of subunits: an α-and a β-cytokine subunit. 40 (CD40) and CD40 ligand (CD40L) stimulate the expression of the two subunits of IL-23 receptors (IL-12R-β1 and IL-23R), which bind to the same proteins (TYK2 and JAK2) as IL-12 to stimulate STAT3 and STAT4 [3].What is clear is that IL-23 resembles IL-12 in structure and in function, because both of them are pro-inflammatory cytokines. Dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages play significant mainly activating STAT1 and STAT3, respectively [4]. All members of the IL-12 family are heterodimers and are only active when both subunits are present. They may differ in production cytokines compete with each other for subunits and receptors As a result, they may differ in levels (Figure 1)
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