Interleukin 12/interleukin 23 pathway: Biological basis and therapeutic effect in patients with Crohn's disease.

Interleukin 12/interleukin 23 pathway: Biological basis and therapeutic effect in patients with Crohn's disease. World J Gastroenterol. 2018 Sep 28;24(36):4093-4103 Authors: Aggeletopoulou I, Assimakopoulos SF, Konstantakis C, Triantos C Abstract Considering that both innate and adaptive immune responses are involved in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD), novel therapeutic options have significantly been developed. Biological agents represent an important addition to the conventional treatments for immuno-inflammatory conditions, acting as antagonists of adhesion molecules or various inflammatory cytokines. The interleukin 12 (IL-12)/IL-23 common pathway has been found to play a determinant role in the induction of inflammation in adaptive immune responses. In particular, IL-23 promotes the differentiation of naïve T helper cells into Th17 phenotype with the concomitant secretion of several inflammatory cytokines such as IL-17 and IL-22, whereas IL-12 induces the Th1 polarization and production of critical cytokines such as interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor. Nowadays, there is increased interest regarding the role of IL-23 as a therapeutic target of CD through the blockage of IL-23 mediated pathways. In this editorial, we focus on the role of IL-12/IL-23 pathway in the regulation of mucosal immunity and in the induction and maintenance of chronic inflammation. In parallel, we critically discuss the available data regardi...
Source: World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Tags: World J Gastroenterol Source Type: research