image: Schematic describing the pro-fibrotic role of lnterleukin-11 (IL-11) in lung fibrosis. Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a fibrotic lung disease characterized by lung epithelial injury and chronic activation of invasive myofibroblasts. IL-11 is robustly upregulated by multiple pro-fibrotic stimuli. IL-11 stimulates lung fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation and triggers cell invasion. These effects can be reduced by neutralizing antibodies against IL-11. We propose that therapeutic inhibition of IL-11 might be effective in reducing lung fibrosis in IPF. This material relates to a paper that appeared in the Sept. 25, 2019, issue of Science Translational Medicine, published by AAAS. The paper, by B. Ng at National Heart Centre Singapore in Singapore, Singapore; and colleagues was titled, "Interleukin-11 is a therapeutic target in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis." view more
Credit: Credit: Dr. Giuseppe D' Agostino (Stuart Cook's lab)