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Figure 1 | Respiratory Research

Figure 1

From: Th2 cytokines and asthma — Interleukin-4: its role in the pathogenesis of asthma, and targeting it for asthma treatment with interleukin-4 receptor antagonists

Figure 1

IL-4 binding to cellular IL-4R and its inhibition by soluble IL-4R (sIL-4R). (a) IL-4 binds to cellular IL-4R, mediating cellular activation and important pro-inflammatory functions in asthma. For clarity, only the IL-4Rα chain of the heterodimer is shown, represented by three domains: extracellular (green), transmembrane (white) and cytoplasmic (red). It should be noted, however, that both chains of the heterodimer are required to initiate intracellular signaling. (b) The sIL-4R consists of the extracellular portion of IL-4Rα. It retains the ability to bind IL-4 with high affinity and high specificity and thereby functions as a decoy receptor which can sequester naturally occurring IL-4 and prevent it from activating the cell. sIL-4R cannot activate cellular signaling; thus, it serves as an anti-inflammatory agent that can counter the effects of IL-4 in asthma.

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Respiratory Research

ISSN: 1465-993X

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