Interleukin-6 and neural stem cells : more than gliogenesis

• Main Authors: Omedul Islam, Gong, Xian Di, Rose-John, Stefan, Heese, Klaus
• Other Authors: School of Biological Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Biological sciences::Microbiology::Immunology
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/104592; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/6200
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Besides its wide range of action as a proinflammatory cytokine in the immune system, interleukin-6 (IL-6) has also attracted much attention due to its influence on the nervous system. In the present study we show that the designer fusion protein H-IL-6, consisting of IL-6 and its specific receptor IL-6R-α, but not IL-6 alone, mediates both neuro- as well as gliogenesis. Using immunocytochemistry, Western blot, and patch-clamp recording, we demonstrate that H-IL-6 induces the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) specifically into glutamate-responsive neurons and two morphological distinctive astroglia cell types. H-IL-6–activated neurogenesis seems to be induced by the MAPK/CREB (mitogenactivated protein kinase/cAMP response element-binding protein) cascade, whereas gliogenesis is mediated via the STAT-3 (signal transducers and activators of transcription protein-3) signaling pathway. Our finding that IL-6 mediates both processes depending on its specific soluble receptor sIL-6R-α has implications for the potential treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.