Novel cytokine protects mice from colitis
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 - 17:30
in Health & Medicine
Inflammatory bowel disease, which affects more than 1 million patients in North America, results from an uncontrolled immune response triggered by environmental factors, such as bacteria, in people genetically predisposed to the disorder. Researchers have discovered that expression of a newly identified human cytokine -- interleukin 37 -- protects mice from colitis.