The key protein involved in the formation of fever, the so-called interleukin 1 (IL-1) interacts with two receptors, depending on the type of receptor, it inhibits or promotes the development of inflammation, inform Chinese scientists in the journal Nature Immunology.
The type of receptor determines the progression or suppression of inflammation The main molecule of inflammation and fever is interleukin-1 (IL-1), when released by cells, it increases body temperature and activates cells of the immune system to fight infection. Prolonged exposure to IL-1 can cause tissue damage – as is the case in autoimmune diseases such as osteoarthritis.
Xinquan Wang and colleagues at Tsinghua University in Beijing showed that IL-1beta, the major form of IL-1, binds to the IL1RI receptor resulting in its activation and signaling promoting inflammation or the inhibitory receptor IL-R1II, which inhibits pro-inflammatory signaling.
Detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms of these interactions has the potential to lead to the development of drugs that prevent the interaction of IL with the IL-1RI receptor, and not IL-1RII, and have anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties. (PAP)