The IL-12 Family of Heterodimeric Cytokines: New Players in the Regulation of T Cell Responses.
Trinchieri, Giorgio *,1; Pflanz, Stefan 2; Kastelein, Robert A. 2
[Review] Immunity. 19(5):641-644, November 2003.

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Summary: Originally the only known heterodimeric cytokine, IL-12 is now part of a family of five cytokines and shares important functions in the regulation of both innate and adaptive immunity with two of them, IL-23 and IL-27. Although initially these three cytokines were considered to have largely overlapping immunological functions, more recent studies, including two articles in this issue of Immunity (Hamano et al., 2003; Villarino et al., 2003), indicate that they mediate complex and well-differentiated functions.

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