REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Inflammation
This article is part of the Research TopicUnderstanding Chronic Inflammation: Mechanisms Behind its PersistenceView all 17 articles
The role of IL-11 in chronic diseases
Provisionally accepted
- 1Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- 2Wuhan University Renmin Hospital, Wuhan, China
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Background: Initially recognized for its role in hematopoiesis, Interleukin-11(IL-11) is now understood to possess a wide spectrum of biological activities. It is involved in critical physiological processes, including immune cell differentiation, inflammatory response regulation, and tissue repair. Consequently, IL-11 is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of various chronic diseases. Discussion: This review examines the multifaceted biology of IL-11, detailing its discovery, molecular structure, and signaling mechanisms. We also explore its expression patterns across different tissues. A primary focus is placed on elucidating the critical role of IL-11 in the pathogenesis and progression of various chronic diseases. Furthermore, we discuss the emerging therapeutic potential of targeting the IL-11 pathway, evaluating evidence from both experimental models and clinical studies. Conclusion: By synthesizing current knowledge on the biological characteristics and disease associations of IL-11, this review aims to provide a comprehensive theoretical foundation for future research into its role in chronic diseases and its potential as a therapeutic target.
Keywords: Chronic Disease, cytokine signaling, Fibrosis, IL-11, Inflammation, Therapeutic targeting
Received: 08 Dec 2025; Accepted: 05 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Zhang, Leng, Li, Wang, Yang and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wei Li
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.