Interleukin-6 (IL-6) family

IL-6, IL-11, IL-31 belong to the IL-6 family of cytokines. Inclusion in the IL-6 family is based on a helical cytokine structure and receptor subunit makeup. Members of the IL-6 family of cytokines activate the signal transducing receptor protein, glycoprotein 130 (gp130). As they share a common signal transducer, IL-6 family cytokines display both unique and overlapping biologic activities on multiple hematopoietic lineages. IL-6 family binding to the gp130 alpha subunit induces homodimerization and subsequent activation of Janus kinases (JAK), followed by activation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT1 and STAT3).