IL13

IL13 Full Name

interleukin 13

IL13 Introduction

Interleukin 13 (IL-13) is a 13-kDa Th2 cytokine encoded by the IL13 gene located on chromosome 5q31, a genomic region strongly associated with allergic inflammation and immune regulation. For many patients with asthma, chronic airway inflammation, or atopic conditions, the underlying issue is not only immune overactivation but a persistent skewing toward type 2 immune responses driven by cytokines like IL-13. Genetic studies, including large meta-analyses involving more than 25,000 cases, have shown that IL13 polymorphisms such as rs20541 (R130Q) and rs1800925 can significantly influence disease susceptibility. These variants alter IL-13 receptor binding affinity and transcriptional regulation, leading to dysregulated cytokine expression. As a result, IL-13 becomes a central mediator in amplifying inflammatory cascades that are difficult to control in chronic immune-mediated diseases.

Functionally, IL-13 plays a key role in orchestrating type 2 immunity, overlapping with but not identical to IL-4 signaling. It signals primarily through a receptor complex composed of IL-13Rα1 and IL-4Rα, activating JAK1, TYK2, and downstream STAT6 pathways. This signaling axis regulates mucus production, airway hyperresponsiveness, eosinophil recruitment, and tissue remodeling—processes that, when uncontrolled, drive disease pathology rather than protection. Importantly, IL-13 competes with IL-4 for shared receptor components, meaning the IL-4/IL-13 balance determines whether immune responses are localized or systemically amplified. Beyond classical inflammation, IL-13 also influences cellular phenotype in tissue-resident immune cells such as macrophages, where it can shift cells toward an anti-inflammatory but functionally impaired state, reducing phagocytosis and tissue clearance capacity under fibrotic conditions.

Clinically, IL-13 is increasingly recognized as a key driver in a range of chronic and progressive diseases, particularly asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and certain hematologic malignancies. In asthma, elevated IL-13 contributes to airway remodeling and hyperresponsiveness, while in fibrotic lung disease it synergizes with increased tissue stiffness to impair alveolar macrophage function and promote persistent fibrosis through STAT6 signaling. In cancer biology, IL-13 signaling through its receptor IL13Rα2—often minimally expressed in normal tissues but upregulated in tumors—has been implicated in tumor invasion, metastasis, and immune evasion, making it a promising therapeutic target. Similarly, in myeloproliferative neoplasms, IL-13 elevation correlates with disease progression and bone marrow fibrosis, where it acts alongside JAK/STAT-driven pathways to worsen tissue remodeling. These findings collectively position IL-13 as both a biomarker and a therapeutic target across allergic, fibrotic, and oncologic diseases, highlighting its central role in unmet clinical needs where current treatments remain insufficient.

Alternate Names for IL13

IL13; interleukin 13; Il-13; interleukin-13; T-cell activation protein P600;

• 1.Omraninava M, et al.; Interleukin 13 gene polymorphism and susceptibility to asthma: a meta-regression and meta-analysis. Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol. 2022, 54(4):150-167.
  2.Jaén M, et al.; Interleukin 13 receptor alpha 2 (IL13Rα2): Expression, signaling pathways and therapeutic applications in cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer. 2022, 1877(5):188802.