UC Irvine

Cytokines are important molecules that regulate the ontogeny and function of the immune system. They are small secreted proteins usually produced upon activation of cells of the immune system, including lymphocytes and myeloid cells. Many cytokines have been described, and several have been recognized as pivotal players in immune responses and in human disease. In fact, several anticytokine antibodies have proven effective therapeutics, especially in various autoimmune diseases. In the last 15 years, new cytokines have been described, and many remain poorly understood. Among the most recent cytokines discovered are interleukins-30 (IL-30) to IL-40. Several of these are members of other cytokine superfamilies, including several IL-1 superfamily members (IL-33, IL-36, IL-37, and IL-38) as well as several new members of the IL-12 family (IL-30, IL-35, and IL-39). The rest (IL-31, IL-32, IL-34, and IL-40) are encoded by genes that do not belong to any cytokine superfamily. Our aim of this review was to present a concise version of the information available on these novel cytokines to facilitate their understanding by members of the immunological community.