Cited by 1,443Psoriasis: Treatment and PathogenesisCytokine Signaling Pathways and InteractionsT-cell and B-cell Immunology

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 198 of the 198 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 215 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

The IL-17 Family of Cytokines in Health and Disease

Open access
McGeachy, Mandy J., Cua, Daniel J., Gaffen, Sarah L.·2019·Immunity

Abstract

The interleukin 17 (IL-17) family of cytokines contains 6 structurally related cytokines, IL-17A through IL-17F. IL-17A, the prototypical member of this family, just passed the 25th anniversary of its discovery. While less is known about IL-17B-F, IL-17A (commonly known as IL-17) has received much attention for its pro-inflammatory role in autoimmune disease. Over the past decade, however, it has become clear that the functions of IL-17 are far more nuanced than simply turning on inflammation. Accumulating evidence indicates that IL-17 has important context- and tissue-dependent roles in maintaining health during response to injury, physiological stress and infection. Here, we discuss the functions of the IL-17 family, with a focus on the balance between the pathogenic and protective roles of IL-17 in cancer and autoimmune disease, including results of therapeutic blockade and novel aspects of IL-17 signal transduction regulation.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This review surveys the IL-17 cytokine family, focusing on IL-17A and its context-dependent roles in host defense, tissue repair, autoimmunity, and cancer. It argues that IL-17 is not simply pro-inflammatory but can be protective or pathogenic depending on tissue, microbial context, and signaling environment.

Key findings

  • IL-17A is the best-studied family member and is central to the IL-23–IL-17 axis, with therapeutic blockade showing strong efficacy in psoriasis: IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors achieved complete PASI 100 responses in roughly 40–80% of patients.
  • Therapeutic results diverge by disease: IL-17 blockade is effective in psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, but has limited benefit in rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease, where some patients experienced exacerbations or increased inflammation markers.
  • IL-17 has protective roles at barrier surfaces and in injured tissues, including antifungal and antibacterial immunity, wound healing, and maintenance of intestinal epithelial tight junctions, while chronic or misplaced IL-17 responses drive tissue damage, bone erosion, fibrosis, and tumor-promoting inflammation.
  • In colorectal cancer, IL-17 signatures associate with worse outcomes, and IL-17 may promote angiogenesis and resistance to anti-VEGF therapy; only about 8% of colon cancer patients have mismatch-repair deficiency/MSI and respond to anti-PD1, whereas MSS patients show elevated IL-17 and are largely unresponsive.

Methods

  • Narrative review of the IL-17 family, with emphasis on IL-17A, synthesizing mechanistic, mouse-model, human genetic, and clinical trial literature.
  • No primary experimental data, sample, or systematic search strategy are reported; the analysis is a conceptual synthesis of published findings.
  • The review covers IL-17 structure and signaling, functions of IL-17B–F, IL-17A in barrier and non-barrier tissues, post-transcriptional regulation, and cancer pathogenesis.

Limitations

  • The paper states that understanding of IL-17 biology remains in its infancy, especially regarding synergistic signaling, cytokine tuning, and microbial influences.
  • It notes that IL-17B, IL-17C, and IL-17D are poorly studied, partly due to limited tools, and that orphan ligands and receptors remain in the family.
  • Evident from the text: as a narrative review, it does not provide a systematic evidence appraisal, and its strong focus on IL-17A limits detailed coverage of other family members.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.immuni.2019.03.021

Cites

198 of 198 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

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Show all 96 claims

  • Probably not a substantial claim. 7
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 64
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 1
67 of 67
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    IL-17 is the signature cytokine of a distinct CD4+ T helper subset, Th17 cells, which express RORγt and are activated by IL-23.

    “IL-17 is the signature cytokine of a distinct CD4+ T helper subset, T helper 17 (Th17) cells, which are characterized by expression of the “master” transcription factor RORγt and activated by the IL-12-family cytokine, IL-23.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Findings from mouse models of IL-17 biology are informative about human IL-17 biology and disease.

    “Mouse models indicate that IL-17B signaling through IL-17RB promotes survival, proliferation and migration of cancer cells in mouse models”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    IL-17A is the most strongly implicated IL-17 family member in human health and disease, justifying the review's focus on it.

    “this review will focus on IL-17A as it has been most strongly implicated in human health and disease.”
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Metadata

Authors
McGeachy, M. J., Cua, D. J., & Gaffen, S. L.
Affiliations
  • University of Pittsburgh (US)
  • Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (United States) (US)
Corresponding author
  • McGeachy, Mandy J.
  • Cua, Daniel J.
  • Gaffen, Sarah L.
Venue
Immunity
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-04
Volume
50
Issue
4
Pages
892-906
ISSN
1074-7613 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2939946042
Cited by
1,443
References
198
Citations by year
2026: 180 · 2025: 239 · 2024: 266 · 2023: 196 · 2022: 247 · 2021: 165 · 2020: 122 · 2019: 28
FWCI
12.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Immunity (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
NIH (AI110822, DE0225500, AI107825)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Psoriasis: Treatment and Pathogenesis
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Cytokine Signaling Pathways and Interactions
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Keywords
IL-17 family, IL-17A, inflammatory cytokines, autoimmune disease, cancer, IL-17 inhibition, infection, injury response, physiological stress
MeSH terms
Animals, Autoimmune Diseases, Brain, Gene Expression Regulation, T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer, Humans, Infections, Inflammation, Neoplasms, Stress, Physiological, Wounds and Injuries, Signal Transduction, Cytokines, RNA-Binding Proteins, Interleukin-17, Mice, Receptors, Interleukin-17, Molecular Targeted Therapy

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