Interleukin-37 (IL-37) is an IL-1 family member found in humans, but a mouse homologue has yet to be identified. Unlike other IL-1 family members, IL-37 has emerged as an anti-inflammatory cytokine. To explore the functions of IL-37 in the intestine, the authors induced dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) colitis in a transgenic mouse strain that expresses human IL-37. Compared with controls, IL-37-transgenic mice developed less severe disease, and this was associated with reduced leukocyte infiltration, decreased levels of IL-1β and tumour necrosis factor, and increased levels of IL-10. Interestingly, despite being under the control of a constitutively active promoter, IL-37 expression was only increased in the transgenic mice following DSS-induced tissue damage. Bone marrow chimaera studies showed that the production of IL-37 by bone marrow-derived cells was sufficient to protect mice from DSS-induced colitis. The authors suggest that inducing IL-37 expression in humans may represent a novel therapeutic approach for treating inflammatory bowel disease.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER
McNamee, E. N. et al. Interleukin 37 expression protects mice from colitis. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 108, 16711–16716 (2011)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
IL-1 family member dampens intestinal inflammation. Nat Rev Immunol 11, 717 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nri3106
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nri3106