Il21r-flox Mouse

Il21r, the interleukin-21 receptor, is a crucial component in the immune-related cytokine signaling pathway. It binds to interleukin-21, a cytokine mainly produced by CD4 T cells. This interaction is involved in multiple biological processes such as promoting effector functions and memory differentiation of CD8 T cells, and is associated with the regulation of the Th2 immune response, as well as playing roles in cell survival and differentiation in the immune system [2,3,4].

In breast cancer, IL21R hypomethylation was identified as a potential biomarker to distinguish benign and malignant breast tumours. BC patients showed significant IL21R hypomethylation compared to those with benign tumours, and this hypomethylation was more pronounced in ER-negative, PR-negative, and triple-negative tumours. The methylation of IL21R had efficient discriminatory power in differentiating between these tumour types [1].

In multiple myeloma, bone marrow CD14+ cells from patients with multiple myeloma over-expressed IL21R, which was independent of interleukin-21 presence, and this over-expression increased osteoclast formation. Inhibition of interleukin-21 receptor signaling suppressed osteoclast differentiation from these cells [5].

In metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis-driven hepatocellular carcinoma, IL-21R signaling promoted the disease by inducing immunosuppressive IgA+ B cells. High IL-21R expression in HCC patients was associated with poor relapse-free survival, advanced TNM stage, and severe steatosis, and ablation of IL-21R impeded hepatocarcinogenesis [6].

In conclusion, Il21r plays essential roles in immune-related processes and is associated with various diseases including breast cancer, multiple myeloma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Research using different models has revealed its significance in disease-related biological mechanisms, such as its potential as a biomarker in breast cancer diagnosis and its role in promoting tumour-related processes in multiple myeloma and hepatocellular carcinoma. These findings contribute to our understanding of disease pathogenesis and may offer new directions for disease diagnosis and treatment.