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Follistatin-like protein 1 and its role in inflammation and inflammatory diseases

  • IMMUNOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
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Abstract

Follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL1) is a secreted glycoprotein produced mainly by cells of mesenchymal origin. FSTL1 has been shown to play an important role during embryogenesis; FSTL1-deficient mice die at birth from multiple developmental abnormalities. In the last decade, FSTL1 has been identified as a novel inflammatory protein, enhancing synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines by immune cells in vitro and in vivo. FSTL1 mediates proinflammatory events in animal models of inflammatory diseases, particularly in collagen-induced arthritis in mice. FSTL1 is elevated in various inflammatory conditions and decreased during the course of treatment. FSTL1 may therefore be a valuable biomarker for such diseases. Moreover, a variety of experiments suggest that targeting of FSTL1 may be useful in the treatment of diseases in which inflammation plays a central role.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Institute of Health Grants RO1 AI073556 and RO1 AR056959 (to R. H.).

Conflict of interest

The University of Pittsburgh has a patent for the use of FSTL1 as a disease target listing R. Hirsch as an inventor.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 2191 ML, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Yury Chaly, Bruce Hostager, Sonja Smith & Raphael Hirsch

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  1. Yury Chaly
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  2. Bruce Hostager
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  4. Raphael Hirsch
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Correspondence to Yury Chaly.

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Chaly, Y., Hostager, B., Smith, S. et al. Follistatin-like protein 1 and its role in inflammation and inflammatory diseases. Immunol Res 59, 266–272 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12026-014-8526-z

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