Fibrosis is unregulated tissue repair in damaged or diseased organs, and the accumulation of excess extracellular matrix (ECM) impacts the structure and functions of organs, leading to death. Fibrosis is usually triggered by inflammation and tissue damage, and inflammatory mediators stimulate the proliferation of myofibroblasts and the excessive production of ECM. The IL-10 family cytokines play important roles in the development of fibrosis, and its member IL-22 has recently attracted specific attention. IL-22 plays great roles in preventing pathogens invasion and tissue damage, as well as making a contribution to pathogenic processes. Increasing evidence suggested that IL-22 is a key molecule in tissue repair, proliferation and mucosal barrier defense, and it has also been suggested to play both pro-fibrotic and anti-fibrotic roles in tissues. In this review, we summarized the pro-fibrotic and anti-fibrotic functions of IL-22 in various organs which may be of great significance for the development of potential therapeutic strategies for fibrosis-related diseases.

纤维化是受损或患病器官中不受调节的组织修复，过量细胞外基质（ECM）的积累会影响器官的结构和功能，导致死亡。纤维化通常由炎症和组织损伤引发，炎症介质刺激肌成纤维细胞增殖和ECM过度产生。 IL-10家族细胞因子在纤维化的发展中发挥着重要作用，其成员IL-22最近引起了特别关注。 IL-22在预防病原体入侵和组织损伤以及致病过程中发挥着重要作用。越来越多的证据表明，IL-22 是组织修复、增殖和粘膜屏障防御的关键分子，并且还被认为在组织中发挥促纤维化和抗纤维化作用。在这篇综述中，我们总结了IL-22在各个器官中的促纤维化和抗纤维化功能，这对于纤维化相关疾病的潜在治疗策略的开发具有重要意义。