Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that plays a crucial role in the immune response, inflammation, and hematopoiesis . It is produced by various cell types, including T cells, B cells, macrophages, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells . IL-6 is involved in the transition between innate and adaptive immunity, helping to recruit immune cells to sites of infection or injury .
IL-6 is a small polypeptide with a molecular weight of 19–28 kDa, consisting of four α-helices . It is usually found in a monomeric form and comprises 184 amino acid residues, glycosylation sites, and two disulfide bonds . The IL-6 gene is located on chromosome 7p and includes four introns and five exons .
IL-6 has a wide range of biological activities, including:
IL-6 is implicated in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis, giant cell arteritis, and cytokine release syndrome . Elevated levels of IL-6 are associated with chronic inflammation and tissue damage in these conditions .
Mouse anti-human IL-6 antibodies are monoclonal antibodies developed to specifically target and neutralize human IL-6 . These antibodies are produced by immunizing mice with human IL-6 and then isolating and cloning the antibody-producing B cells . The resulting monoclonal antibodies can bind to human IL-6 with high specificity and affinity, inhibiting its biological activity .
Mouse anti-human IL-6 antibodies have several important applications in research and therapy: