Interleukin 21
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Interleukin 21
| |
| Identifiers | |
| Symbol(s) | IL21 , |
| Entrez | 59067 |
| OMIM | 605384 |
| RefSeq | NM_021803 |
| UniProt | Q9HBE4 |
| Other data | |
| Locus | Chr. 4 q26-q27 |
Interleukin 21 (IL-21), is a cytokine that has potent regulatory effects on cells of the immune system, including natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T cells that can destroy virally infected or cancerous cells. <ref>Parrish-Novak J., S. R. Dillon, et al. Interleukin 21 and its receptor are involved in NK cell expansion and regulation of lymphocyte function. Nature, 2000, Volume 408, pages 57-63. </ref><ref>Parrish-Novak J, Foster DC, Holly RD, Clegg CH. Interleukin 21 and IL21 Receptor: Novel effectors of NK and T cell responses. Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 2002, Volume 72, pages 856-863.</ref> This cytokine induces cell division/proliferation in its target cells. IL-21 elicits its effects on immune cells by interacting with a cell surface receptor known as the interleukin 21 receptor, IL-21R, that is expressed in bone marrow cells and various lymphocytes.
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