Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a novel member of IL-1 cytokine family. It can act both as a nuclear factor and as a soluble mediator; however, the precise role of IL-33 within the nucleus is still not clear. As a cytokine, IL-33 is suggested to function as an alarmin that is released upon endothelial or epithelial cell damage. As such, IL-33 targets multiple cell types thereby alerting the immune system to endogenous trauma such as physical stress or infection. However, a dysregulated release of IL-33 has a potential to drive distinct pathologies. In this review, we discuss the contribution of IL-33 to the pathophysiology of asthma, arthritis, obesity and atherosclerosis as well as the potential of IL-33 for therapeutic intervention.
© 2010 The Association for the Publication of the Journal of Internal Medicine.