IL 7 Human, HEK

IL-7 is produced by stromal cells in the bone marrow and thymus, as well as by epithelial cells, keratinocytes, dendritic cells, hepatocytes, and neurons . The human recombinant form of IL-7 is often expressed in HEK 293 cells, which are human embryonic kidney cells . This recombinant form is typically purified to a high degree, with purity levels exceeding 95% as determined by SDS-PAGE .

IL-7 is essential for the survival, development, and proliferation of lymphoid progenitor cells. It stimulates the differentiation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells into lymphoid progenitor cells, which then give rise to B cells, T cells, and NK cells . IL-7 also plays a critical role in the survival and homeostasis of mature T cells, particularly in the maintenance of the naïve and memory T cell pools .

IL-7 exerts its effects by binding to the IL-7 receptor (IL-7R), a heterodimer consisting of the IL-7 receptor alpha chain (IL-7Rα) and the common gamma chain (γc), which is shared with other cytokine receptors such as those for IL-2, IL-4, IL-9, IL-15, and IL-21 . The binding of IL-7 to its receptor activates several downstream signaling pathways, including the JAK-STAT pathway, which is crucial for the cytokine’s biological effects .

IL-7 has been studied extensively for its potential therapeutic applications. Elevated levels of IL-7 have been observed in the plasma of HIV-infected patients, and IL-7 has been investigated as an immunotherapy agent in various pre-clinical and clinical trials . It has shown promise in enhancing immune recovery following allogeneic stem cell transplantation and in treating certain malignancies, such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia and T cell lymphoma .