Merck, MABF848, Anti-EBI3 Antibody/IL-35, clone V1.4C4.22 (Neutralizing)

EBI3/IL27B is the beta subunit of the functional cytokine IL-27. The beta subunit is required for activity. IL-27 is a critical cytokine of mammalian innate immune response. IL-27 has both pro and anti-inflammatory activities. IL-27 regulates T-helper cell development and differentiation into TH1, TH2 and TH17 effector cells. IL-27 also is important in isotype switching for B-cells, and it drives rapid clonal expansion of native but not memory CD4 cells. IL-27 is also important for its anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic activity on tumor and cancer cells. The beta subunit EBI3/IL27B is also a component of IL-35 which is a heterodimer of IL-12alpha and IL-27B/EBI3. IL-35 plays a role in immune suppression. IL-27 is a secreted cytokine, thus IL-27beta subunit is expressed intracellularly associated with the endoplasmic reticulum and membrane vesicles and is detected extracellularly as part of the mature cytokine as well.