IMR Press / FBL / Volume 30 / Issue 6 / DOI: 10.31083/FBL37462
Open Access Opinion
Interleukin-31: A Pro-inflammatory Oriented Cytokine
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Affiliation
1 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 16132 Genova, Italy
2 Allergology and Clinical Immunology Unit, San Bartolomeo Hospital, 19038 Sarzana, Italy
3 Elderly and Disabeld Department, San Paolo Hospital, 17100 Savona, Italy
4 Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy
5 Hygiene Unit, San Martino Policlinico Hospital-IRCCS for Oncology and Neurosciences, 16132 Genova, Italy
6 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, School and Operative Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
*Correspondence: giuseppe.murdaca@unige.it (Giuseppe Murdaca)
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2025, 30(6), 37462; https://doi.org/10.31083/FBL37462
Submitted: 1 February 2025 | Revised: 7 June 2025 | Accepted: 11 June 2025 | Published: 27 June 2025
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Type 2 immunity is represented by T helper 2 (Th2) lymphocytes and the cytokines produced downstream (Interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13, IL-31). They are increasingly recognized as pivotal mediators in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated dermatological conditions such as atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis (Pso). In these disorders, they initiate and amplify immunological signaling cascades, promote cutaneous inflammation, and contribute to the induction of pruritus. In this context, IL-33 and IL-31 would be believed to be intrinsically linked and related to the acuity of the disease. The presence of an interleukin could in fact trigger the other, amplifying the inflammatory process of itchy skin disorders and therefore the extent of the symptoms. High levels of IL-31 may support the maintenance of a microenvironment that promotes both the growth and spread of solid tumors, as well as the development of cancer-associated pruritus. Given these premises, non-histaminergic mediators such as IL-31 and IL-33 could be explored as novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of pruritus in immune-mediated skin diseases and cancer, improving the QoL of patients. Finally, we briefly discussed the recent innovations in the field of monoclonal anti-IL-31 therapies.

Keywords
IL-31
IL-33
IL-33/IL-31 axis
IL-31 receptors
cancer
Figures
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