Rabbit anti-Human Interleukin 6 receptor (IL-6R) mAb(DET) (RMK0196)

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine produced by a wide variety of cell types including T cells, monocyte/macrophages, fibroblasts, hepatocytes, vascular endothelial cells, cardiac myxomas, bladder cell carcinomas, myelomas, astrogliomas, and glioblastomas. The effects of IL-6 on different cell types are numerous and varied. These activities include: stimulation of B cell differentiation and antibody secretion; action as a co-stimulant with PHA or Con A to increase IL-2 production and IL-2 receptor expression by T cells; enhancement of differentiation of cytotoxic T cells; action as a growth factor for mature thymic or peripheral T cells, myelomas, hybridomas, plasmacytomas, keratinocytes, and mesangial cells; colonystimulating activity on hematopoietic cells; induction of neuronal cell differentiation; induction of maturation of megakaryocytes; and stimulation of production of acute phase response proteins by hepatocytes. These various activities indicate that IL-6 plays a major role in the mediation of the inflammatory and immune responses initiated by infection or injury. Elevated IL-6 levels have been reported to be associated with a variety of diseases, including autoimmune diseases, mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis, psoriasis, and malignancies such as plasmacytomas and myelomas. For reviews of the properties and activities of IL-6 see references. The biological activities of IL-6 are initiated by binding of the cytokine to a high-affinity receptor complex consisting of two membrane glycoproteins: an 80 kDa component receptor that binds IL-6 with low affinity (IL-6 Rα) and a signal-transducing component of 130 kDa (gp130) that does not bind IL-6 by itself, but is required for high-affinity binding of IL-6 by the complex. Both components of the receptor complex, IL-6 Rα and gp130, have been cloned, sequenced, and expressed.