IL-22 is an inflammatory cytokine related to IL-10 that is produced by T cells and that induces a response in cells through a heterodimeric cell surface receptor composed of IL-22R1 and IL-10R2C. One of the actions of IL-22 appears to be the induction of the acute phase inflammatory response in hetapocytes, acting through activation of STATs and transcriptional regulation. A gene with homology to the extracellular domain of the cell surface IL-22R1 receptor component was identified that lacked transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains. The protein derived from this gene was found to bind IL-22 and block its interaction with the cell surface receptor. The IL-22 soluble receptor (IL-22BP, IL-22 binding protein) also blocks some of the downstream effects of IL-22 such as STAT activation and the transcriptional induction of genes involved in the immune and inflammatory responses. The IL-22 soluble receptor may act as an anti-inflammatory agent.
