IL16 Antibody
Description
Product Specs
Product Science Overview
Interleukin-16 (IL-16), formerly known as lymphocyte chemoattractant factor (LCF), is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays multiple roles in the immune system. It is chemotactic for CD4+ T lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils, meaning it can attract these cells to sites of inflammation . IL-16 can also upregulate the expression of IL-2 receptors and HLA-DR4, inhibit T cell receptor (TcR)/CD3-dependent activation, and repress HIV-1 transcription .
Structure and Processing: IL-16 is synthesized as a precursor molecule (pro-IL-16) of approximately 68 kDa and 631 amino acids (aa) lacking a signal peptide . The gene for IL-16 maps to chromosome 15 in humans and chromosome 7 in mice . The sequence and overall structure of IL-16 is conserved across species, with human and mouse IL-16 genes comprising seven exons and six introns . The human pro-IL-16 sequence displays over 90% similarity to various non-human primates .
In CD8+ T cells, active caspase-3 cleaves pro-IL-16, producing a biologically active, secreted form of IL-16, which represents 121 C-terminal aa residues of pro-IL-16 . The mechanism of release or secretion of IL-16 is currently unknown but does not appear to correlate with apoptosis .
Function: IL-16 functions as a chemoattractant, modulator of T cell activation, and inhibitor of HIV replication . It stimulates a migratory response in CD4+ lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils, primes CD4+ T-cells for IL-2 and IL-15 responsiveness, and induces T-lymphocyte expression of the interleukin 2 receptor . IL-16 also serves as a ligand for CD4, initiating signaling pathways that increase intracytoplasmic calcium and inositol trisphosphate, activate p56lck, and translocate protein kinase C from the cytosol to the cell membrane .
Mouse Anti-Human IL-16 Antibody is a monoclonal antibody that specifically targets human IL-16. These antibodies are used in various research and clinical applications to study the role of IL-16 in immune responses and diseases.
Applications:
- Neutralization: Mouse anti-human IL-16 antibodies can neutralize the activity of IL-16, inhibiting its ability to attract CD4+ T cells, monocytes, and eosinophils .
- Research: These antibodies are used in research to investigate the role of IL-16 in various diseases, including hematologic cancers and viral infections .
- Therapeutic Potential: By inhibiting IL-16 activity, these antibodies have potential therapeutic applications in conditions where IL-16 plays a pathogenic role, such as autoimmune diseases and HIV infection .
Mechanism of Action: The mouse anti-human IL-16 antibody binds to IL-16, preventing it from interacting with its receptor, CD4 . This inhibition blocks the downstream signaling pathways activated by IL-16, thereby reducing the recruitment and activation of immune cells .
