Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

IBD

Of mice and men—shedding new light on IL-13 activity in IBD

A recent study in a mouse model of colitis has demonstrated that interleukin (IL)-13, through inhibition of the mixed type 1 and type 17 T-helper cell inflammatory response, has a protective effect. The decoy receptor IL-13Rα2 inhibits this protective effect, suggesting blockade of IL-13Rα2 as a potential therapy for patients with IBD.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: The functional role of IL-13 in intestinal inflammation.

References

  1. Fuss, I. J. et al. Both IL-12p70 and IL-23 are synthesized during active Crohn's disease and are down-regulated by treatment with anti-IL-12p40 monoclonal antibody. Inflamm. Bowel Dis. 12, 9–15 (2006).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Zhang, Z., Zheng, M., Bindas, J., Schwarzenberger, P. & Kolls, J. K. Critical role of IL-17 receptor signaling in acute TNBS-induced colitis. Inflamm. Bowel Dis. 12, 382–388 (2006).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Fuss, I. J. et al. Nonclassical CD1d-restricted NK T cells that produce IL-13 characterize and atypical Th2 response in ulcerative colitis. J. Clin. Invest. 113, 1490–1497 (2004).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Murphy, K. M. & Stockinger, B. Effector T cell plasticity: flexibility in the face of changing circumstances. Nat. Immunol. 11, 674–680 (2010).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Wilson, M. S. et al. Colitis and intestinal inflammation in IL10-/- mice results from IL-13Rα2-mediated attenuation of IL-13 activity. Gastroenterology 140, 254–264 (2011).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Heller, F., Fuss, I. J., Nieuwenhuis, E. E., Blumberg, R. S. & Strober, W. Oxazalone colitis, a Th2 colitis model resembling ulcerative colitis, is mediated by IL-13-producing NK-T cells. Immunity 17, 629–638 (2002).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Fichtner-Feigl, S. et al. IL-13 signaling via IL-13Rα2 induces major downstream fibrogenic factors mediating fibrosis in chronic TNBS colitis. Gastroenterology 135, 2003–2013 (2008).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Heller, F. et al. Interleukin-13 is the key effector Th2 cytokine in ulcerative colitis that affects epithelial tight junctions, apoptosis, and cell restitution. Gastroenterology 129, 550–564 (2005).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Mandal, D. & Levine, A. D. Elevated IL-13Rα2 in intestinal epithelial cells from ulcerative colitis or colorectal cancer initiates MAPK pathway. Inflamm. Bowel Dis. 16, 753–764 (2010).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Arijs, I. et al. Mucosal gene signatures to predict response to infliximab in patients with ulcerative colitis. Gut 58, 1612–1619 (2009).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Danese, S. Of mice and men—shedding new light on IL-13 activity in IBD. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 8, 128–129 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2011.17

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2011.17

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing