Interleukin-17 signaling pathway (IL-17 pathway) (IL-17 pathway)

The Interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling pathway is a central pro-inflammatory axis primarily driven by Th17 cells, which are critical for host defense against extracellular pathogens like bacteria and fungi [NCBI, 2023]. This pathway involves a family of six ligands (IL-17A to IL-17F) and five receptor subunits (IL-17RA to IL-17RE), with the IL-17A/IL-17RA interaction being the most extensively studied [UniProt]. While essential for mucosal immunity, overactivation of this pathway is a primary driver of chronic inflammatory diseases such as plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis [PubMed, 2022]. Therapeutic intervention typically involves monoclonal antibodies that either neutralize the IL-17A/F ligands or block the IL-17RA receptor, effectively reducing systemic and local inflammation [StatPearls, 2023]. However, because IL-17 also plays a protective role in the intestinal barrier and fungal defense, its inhibition can lead to side effects such as mucocutaneous candidiasis and the exacerbation of inflammatory bowel disease [NIH, 2021].

Other names

Th17 pathwayIL-17/IL-23 axisIL-17 signaling cascadeInterleukin-17 pathway

Monoclonal antibodies target and neutralize IL-17A, IL-17F, or the IL-17 receptor subunit A (IL-17RA), thereby preventing the formation of the signaling complex and inhibiting downstream pro-inflammatory gene expression mediated by NF-kappaB and MAPK pathways [PubMed, 2022; StatPearls, 2023].