Role of interleukin-33 in pathogenesis of bronchial asthma

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a novel member of IL-1 cytokine family,which mediates its biological effects as a ligand for ST2. IL-33 induces expression of Th2 cytokines and has a variety of effects on inflammatory cells.Growing evidence suggests that IL-33 plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. As such, it is hoped that IL-33 will be a novel therapeutic target for bronchial asthma.