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Stimulation of oligodendroglial proliferation and maturation by interleukin-2

Nature volume 321, pages 610–613 (1986)Cite this article

Abstract

There exists considerable evidence that the growth of glial cells can be influenced by T-cell-derived lymphokines and monokines. Astrocytes proliferate in the presence of mitogen- or antigen-stimulated T-cell supernatants1–3, supernatants from human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-transformed T cells3, and purified human interleukin-1 (IL-1; ref. 4). Oligodendrocytes proliferate and differentiate when incubated with supernatants from mitogen-activated or HTLV-transformed T cells3. In addition, we have recently purified a T-cell-derived lymphokine of relative molecular mass 30,000, termed glial growth promoting factor (GGPF), which specifically stimulates the proliferation of oligodendrocytes5. The traditional role of interleukins 1 and 2 is in the initiation, propagation and regulation of the immune response6. IL-1, released by a variety of cells including monocytes, stimulates T cells to produce IL-2 (ref. 7); IL-2 in turn induces the expansion of T cells that is critical for immune responsiveness. Recently, IL-2 has been shown to induce B-cell proliferation8,9 and immunoglobulin secretion10, indicating that its action is not restricted to T cells. We now report that recombinant human IL-2 influences the growth of glial cells—specifically, the proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocytes. IL-2 may have a role in the inflammatory neural lesions of multiple sclerosis patients and in the growth of brain glia during injury or disease.

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Author notes

  1. Etty N. Benveniste

    Present address: Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University Station, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, 90024, USA

    Etty N. Benveniste & Jean E. Merrill

Authors
  1. Etty N. Benveniste
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  2. Jean E. Merrill
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Benveniste, E., Merrill, J. Stimulation of oligodendroglial proliferation and maturation by interleukin-2. Nature 321, 610–613 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/321610a0

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