A designer hyper interleukin 11 (H11) is a biologically active cytokine

The H11 construct was generated, the protein was produced in a baculovirus expression system and was then purified by using ion exchange chromatography. The H11 protein displayed activity in three independent bioassays, (i) it induced acute phase proteins production in HepG2 cells expressing IL-11, IL-11Rα and gp130, (ii) it stimulated the proliferation of B9 cells (cells expressing IL-11Rα and gp130) and (iii) proliferation of Baf/3-gp130 cells (cells not expressing IL-11 and IL-11Rα but gp130). Moreover, the preliminary data indicated that H11 was functionally distinct from Hyper-IL-6, a molecule which utilizes the same homodimer of signal transducing receptor (gp130).The biologically active H11 may be potentially useful for treatment of thrombocytopenia, infertility, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular diseases or inflammatory disorders.IL-11 is a pleiotropic cytokine, which exhibits multiple biological activities which are determined by expression of IL-11Rα and gp130 on the cell membrane [1]. Originally it was identified in 1990 as a molecule promoting growth of the IL-6-dependent mouse plasmacytoma cell line B9 [2]. It has been demonstrated later, that IL-11 exhibits multiple effects not only on hematopoietic system, but it also acts on various cell types of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, lung, heart, central nervous system, bone, joint and immune system [1]. IL-11 acts synergistically with other growth factors in the process of hematopotic cells differentiation including progenitor cells, and on megakaryocytopoiesis, thrombopoiesis, erythropoiesis and myelopoiesis [1]. Moreover, IL-11 displays anti-melanoma activity when used as molecular adjuvant in the therapeutic whole cell melanoma vaccine formulation [3].IL-11 together with IL-6, IL-27, Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF), Oncostatin M (OSM), Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor (CNTF), Cardiotrophin 1 (CT-1), cardiotrophin-like cytokine (CLC) and neuropoietin (NP) belongs to the family of hemopoietic cytokines (