Description
Interleukin-22 (IL-22), also known as ILTIF, is protein that in humans is encoded by the IL22 gene. IL-22 a member of a group of cytokines called the IL-10 family or IL-10 superfamily, a class of potent mediators of cellular inflammatory responses. Using FISH, the IL22 gene is mapped to chromosome 12q15, close to the IFNG and the herpesvirus saimiri-induced AK155 genes. IL-22 can contribute to immune disease through the stimulation of inflammatory responses, S100s and defensins. It also promotes hepatocyte survival in the liver and epithelial cells in the lung and gut similar to IL-10. In some contexts, the pro-inflammatory versus tissue-protective functions of IL-22 are regulated by the often co-expressed cytokine IL-17A