Interleukin 11 (IL-11) is a pleiotropic cytokine with effects on various tissues including the bone marrow, brain, and intestinal mucosa. It belongs to the IL-6 family of cytokines that share a common signal transducer, gp130. The binding of IL-11 to its receptor induces heterodimerization with the gp130 subunit and activation of JAK tyrosine kinases. IL-11 also plays a role in cancer progression by inducing the proliferation of epithelial cancer cells and the survival of metastatic cells at distant organs.
