背景介绍 IL-18 is synthesized as a biologically inactive precursor protein that has limited biological activity. The proform of IL18 is processed by one of the caspases, Caspase-1, to generate the 18 kDa bioactive molecule. IL-18 is produced during the acute immune response by macrophages and immature dendritic cells. Interleukin-18 is expressed by a variety of immune and non-immune cells, including monocytes and macrophages. IL-18 is one of the pro-inflammatory cytokines. The activities of IL-18 appear to be species-specific. An important function of IL-18 is the regulation of functionally distinct subsets of T-helper cells required for cell mediated immune responses. IL-18 functions as a growth and differentiation factor for Th1 cells. IL-18 up-regulates FAS ligand mediated cytotoxic activitiy of murine natural killer cells. IL-18 is part of a complex regulatory circuit involved in causing cell death by apoptosis. 产品介绍 Recombinant Interleukin-18 is a disulfide-linked monomer protein consisting of 158 amino acid residues, migrates as an approximately 18 kDa protein under non-reducing and reducing conditions in SDS-PAGE. Optimized DNA sequence encoding human Interleukin-18 mature chain was expressed in E. coli.