Messing with βc: A unique receptor with many goals

Winnie L Kan; Karen S Cheung Tung Shing; Tracy L Nero; Timothy R Hercus; Denis Tvorogov; Michael W Parker; Angel F Lopez

doi:10.1016/j.smim.2021.101513

Messing with βc: A unique receptor with many goals

Semin Immunol. 2021 Apr:54:101513. doi: 10.1016/j.smim.2021.101513. Epub 2021 Nov 24.

Authors

Winnie L Kan¹, Karen S Cheung Tung Shing², Tracy L Nero³, Timothy R Hercus⁴, Denis Tvorogov⁵, Michael W Parker⁶, Angel F Lopez⁷

Affiliations

¹ The Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and the University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia. Electronic address: winnie.kan@sa.gov.au.
² Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia. Electronic address: kcheung1@unimelb.edu.au.
³ Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia. Electronic address: tracy.nero@unimelb.edu.au.
⁴ The Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and the University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia. Electronic address: tim.hercus@sa.gov.au.
⁵ The Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and the University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia. Electronic address: denis.tvorogov@sa.gov.au.
⁶ Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Australian Cancer Research Foundation Rational Drug Discovery Centre, St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065, Australia. Electronic address: mwp@unimelb.edu.au.
⁷ The Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and the University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia; Department of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia; Australian Cancer Research Foundation Cancer Genomics Facility, SA Pathology, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia. Electronic address: angel.lopez@sa.gov.au.

PMID: 34836771
DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2021.101513

Abstract

Our understanding of the biological role of the βc family of cytokines has evolved enormously since their initial identification as bone marrow colony stimulating factors in the 1960's. It has become abundantly clear over the intervening decades that this family of cytokines has truly astonishing pleiotropic capacity, capable of regulating not only hematopoiesis but also many other normal and pathological processes such as development, inflammation, allergy and cancer. As noted in the current pandemic, βc cytokines contribute to the cytokine storm seen in acutely ill COVID-19 patients. Ongoing studies to discover how these cytokines activate their receptor are revealing insights into the fundamental mechanisms that give rise to cytokine pleiotropy and are providing tantalizing glimpses of how discrete signaling pathways may be dissected for activation with novel ligands for therapeutic benefit.

Keywords: Cytokines; Inflammation; Leukemia; Pleiotropy; Receptor activation; Signaling.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Goals*
Humans
SARS-CoV-2