Messing with βc: A unique receptor with many goals

Abstract

Our understanding of the biological role of the βc family of cytokines has evolved enormously since their initial identification as bone marrow colony stimulating factors in the 1960′s. It has become abundantly clear over the intervening decades that this family of cytokines has truly astonishing pleiotropic capacity, capable of regulating not only hematopoiesis but also many other normal and pathological processes such as development, inflammation, allergy and cancer. As noted in the current pandemic, βc cytokines contribute to the cytokine storm seen in acutely ill COVID-19 patients. Ongoing studies to discover how these cytokines activate their receptor are revealing insights into the fun..