IL-31 is a novel cytokine expressed in many human tissues and involved mainly in T_H2-weighted inflammation. IL-31 signals through a receptor complex consisting of IL-31 receptor α and oncostatin M receptor β. The available data show that IL-31 is strongly linked with chronic pruritic skin disorders, such as atopic eczema, and represents a novel target for directed drug therapy. Regulation of immune responses and cellular differentiation and proliferation are recently elucidated effects of IL-31, suggesting a more complex and diverse area of effect for this novel cytokine. This review summarizes the current knowledge on IL-31 and its receptors and the involvement of IL-31 in diseases both in human subjects and mouse models.

IL-31是一种在许多人体组织中表达的新型细胞因子，主要参与T _H 2加权炎症。IL-31通过由IL-31受体α和抑瘤素M受体β组成的受体复合物发出信号。现有数据表明，IL-31与慢性瘙痒性皮肤病（如特应性湿疹）密切相关，并且代表了定向药物治疗的新靶标。免疫应答的调节以及细胞分化和增殖是最近阐明的IL-31的作用，表明该新型细胞因子的作用范围更为复杂和多样。这篇综述总结了关于IL-31及其受体的当前知识以及IL-31在人类受试者和小鼠模型中与疾病的关系。