Interleukin-15 receptor (IL-15R) pathway (IL-15R pathway)

The Interleukin-15 receptor pathway is a critical cytokine signaling axis regulating the development, survival, and activation of multiple lymphocyte lineages, notably NK cells and memory T cells. IL-15 acts via a heterotrimeric receptor complex consisting of IL-15Rα, IL-2Rβ, and γc, sharing some subunits with the IL-2 receptor but differing in affinity and presentation mechanisms. Binding of IL-15 activates intracellular signaling cascades including JAK1/JAK3 and downstream phosphorylation of STAT3/STAT5, PI3K/AKT, and MAPK pathways—leading to transcription of anti-apoptotic and proto-oncogenic genes such as Bcl-2, c-Myc, and NF-κB. Modulation of this pathway through synthetic gene circuits allows programmable delivery of therapeutic proteins (e.g., IL-15 itself or IL-1Ra) in response to inflammatory signals or circadian timing, representing a promising strategy for autonomous cell-based therapies in cancer, autoimmune disease, and tissue engineering. However, the “target” as phrased refers to pathway modulation rather than a single defined molecular entity, and thus should be canonicalized to “Interleukin-15 receptor” or “Interleukin-15 receptor pathway” for database structuring.

Other names

Interleukin-15 pathwayIL-15 signalingIL-15 receptor signalingIL-15 axis

Activation (agonism) of IL-15 receptor to stimulate immune cell proliferation or cytotoxicity; Antagonism/inhibition of IL-15 or its receptor to suppress aberrant immune activation; Modulation of downstream JAK/STAT, PI3K/AKT, and MAPK pathways via synthetic gene circuits