RECOMBINANT HUMAN INTERLEUKIN-6 - SAFETY ISSUES OF A PLEIOTROPIC GROWTH-FACTOR

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a pivotal role in hematopoiesis, immune rea ctions and acute phase responses. It has been demonstrated, however, t hat the abnormal expression and dysregulation of IL-6 homeostasis are involved in the pathogenesis of a range of diseases. It is the purpose of this article to review briefly some of the biological properties o f IL-6 in order to discuss issues related to the safety evaluation of recombinant human IL-6 (rhIL-6). Knowledge of the biological propertie s is important for, (1) selection of a responsive species for toxicolo gical studies and (2) proper interpretation of the side-effect profile .