IL2 Gene

IL2 (Interleukin-2)

<table class="infobox infobox-gene">
<tr>
<th class="infobox-header" colspan="2">IL2 Gene</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Symbol</td>
<td>IL2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NCBI Gene ID</td>
<td>[3559](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3559)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Chromosome</td>
<td>4q26</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Protein Class</td>
<td>Cytokine</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Molecular Weight</td>
<td>~15 kDa</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Cell Type</td>
<td>Expression Level</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Activated CD4+ T cells</td>
<td>High</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Activated CD8+ T cells</td>
<td>High</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NK cells</td>
<td>Moderate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">[Neurons](/entities/neurons)</td>
<td>Low</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">[Astrocytes](/entities/astrocytes)</td>
<td>Low</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Associated Diseases</td>
<td><a href="/wiki/fibrosis" style="color:#ef9a9a">Fibrosis</a>, <a href="/wiki/ms" style="color:#ef9a9a">Ms</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">KG Connections</td>
<td><a href="/atlas" style="color:#4fc3f7">11 edges</a></td>
</tr>
</table>

Overview

IL2 (Interleukin-2)

<table class="infobox infobox-gene">
<tr>
<th class="infobox-header" colspan="2">IL2 Gene</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Symbol</td>
<td>IL2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NCBI Gene ID</td>
<td>[3559](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3559)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Chromosome</td>
<td>4q26</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Protein Class</td>
<td>Cytokine</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Molecular Weight</td>
<td>~15 kDa</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Cell Type</td>
<td>Expression Level</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Activated CD4+ T cells</td>
<td>High</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Activated CD8+ T cells</td>
<td>High</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NK cells</td>
<td>Moderate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">[Neurons](/entities/neurons)</td>
<td>Low</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">[Astrocytes](/entities/astrocytes)</td>
<td>Low</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Associated Diseases</td>
<td><a href="/wiki/fibrosis" style="color:#ef9a9a">Fibrosis</a>, <a href="/wiki/ms" style="color:#ef9a9a">Ms</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">KG Connections</td>
<td><a href="/atlas" style="color:#4fc3f7">11 edges</a></td>
</tr>
</table>

Overview

IL2 (Interleukin-2) is a foundational T cell cytokine discovered in 1976 and is one of the most important cytokines for immune regulation. IL-2 is critical for T cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation, and plays central roles in immune tolerance, autoimmunity, and cancer immunity. In the nervous system, IL-2 influences neurodevelopment, synaptic plasticity, and has complex roles in neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases[@kelley2007][@han2010].

Gene Overview

Function

IL-2 has essential and complex functions:

Immune System

• T cell proliferation: Primary cytokine driving activated T cell expansion[@malek2011]
• Treg development: Essential for regulatory T cell (Treg) maintenance and function
• NK cell activation: Enhances NK cell cytotoxicity and proliferation
• Immune tolerance: Central to self-tolerance via Treg maintenance

Nervous System

• Neurodevelopment: Influences neural precursor cell proliferation and differentiation
• Synaptic plasticity: IL-2 receptor expression in [hippocampus](/brain-regions/hippocampus) suggests roles in learning and memory
• Neuroinflammation: Modulates CNS inflammatory responses
• Neuroprotective potential: Some studies suggest neuroprotective effects

Receptor

IL-2 signals through three receptor configurations:

The expression of different receptor forms determines cellular responses.

Signaling Pathways

IL-2 activates multiple signaling cascades:

Disease Associations

Neurodegenerative Diseases

• Alzheimer's Disease: IL-2 levels altered in AD; potential therapeutic candidate; some clinical trials of IL-2 in AD[@g2019]
• Parkinson's Disease: IL-2 may modulate neuroinflammation; dopaminergic neuron survival
• Multiple Sclerosis: IL-2 drives T cell activation; IL-2 therapy being explored
• ALS: Altered IL-2 signaling in ALS models

Other Conditions

• Cancer immunotherapy: IL-2 (aldesleukin) approved for melanoma and renal cell carcinoma
• Autoimmune diseases: Low-dose IL-2 for treating lupus, vasculitis
• HIV/AIDS: IL-2 used in some clinical trials
• Transplant rejection

Expression

IL-2 is produced primarily by activated immune cells:

Therapeutic Use

IL-2 has significant clinical applications:

• Aldesleukin (Proleukin): FDA-approved for metastatic renal cell carcinoma and melanoma
• Low-dose IL-2: Investigated for autoimmune diseases
• IL-2 muteins: Engineered IL-2 variants with altered receptor binding
• IL-2/IL-2 antibody complexes: Enhance therapeutic window
• Combination therapy: With checkpoint inhibitors in cancer

Cross-References

• [Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease)
• [Parkinson's Disease](/diseases/parkinsons-disease)
• [Multiple Sclerosis](/diseases/multiple-sclerosis)
• [Neuroinflammation](/mechanisms/neuroinflammation)
• [JAK/STAT Pathway](/mechanisms/jak-stat-pathway)
• [Regulatory T Cells](/cell-types/regulatory-t-cells)

See Also

• [Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease)
• [Parkinson's Disease](/diseases/parkinsons-disease)
• [Multiple Sclerosis](/diseases/multiple-sclerosis)
• [Neuroinflammation](/mechanisms/neuroinflammation)
• [JAK/STAT Pathway](/mechanisms/jak-stat-pathway)

External Links

• [NCBI Gene: 3559](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3559)

References

Pathway Diagram

The following diagram shows the key molecular relationships involving IL2 Gene discovered through SciDEX knowledge graph analysis: