Interleukin 6 (IL-6) Mouse Monoclonal Antibody (Detection)

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a 26 kDa secreted protein that consists of 184 amino acids with two N-glycosylation sites and four cysteine residues. It is a pleiotropic cytokine with roles in immunity, tissue regeneration, and metabolism. Rapid production of IL-6 contributes to host defense during infection and tissue injury, but excessive synthesis of IL-6 and dysregulation of IL-6 receptor signaling is involved in disease pathology.Therapeutic agents targeting the IL-6 axis are effective in rheumatoid arthritis, and applications are being extended to other settings of acute and chronic inflammation. The IL-6 signaling cascade is initiated by binding of IL-6 to IL-6R and a second transmembrane protein, gp130, which serves as a signal transducer of IL-6. Although IL-6R expression is restricted to cells such as hepatocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes, gp130 is ubiquitously expressed, potentially explaining the pleiotropic functions of IL-6. Unlike gp130, IL-6R exists in an 80 kDa transmembrane form and a 50-55 kDa soluble form (sIL-6R) . Classic IL-6R signaling is thought to be anti-inflammatory and mediated by membrane-bound IL-6R (mIL-6R) and gp130. Classical IL-6 signaling only occurs on some subsets of T cells, hepatocytes, megakaryocytes, neutrophils and monocytes. Additionally, IL-6 can also bind to sIL-6R and the IL-6-sIL-6R complex then binds to membrane-bound gp130 on cells that do not express IL-6R on the surface, a process known as trans-signaling. In both classical and trans-signaling, the IL-6/IL-6R/gp130 complex activates intracellular signaling through the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. There is evidence that an imbalance away from the MAPK pathway via removal of regulation by suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) towards the pro-inflammatory STAT3 signaling pathway contributes to autoimmune disease and therefore may also be a target for stress susceptibility.