Interleukin-6-Mediated Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-Derived Neural Differentiation

Abstract

In an aging society with an increasing threat to higher brain cognitive functions due to dementia, it becomes imperative to identify new molecular remedies for supporting adult neurogenesis. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a promising cytokine that can support neurogenesis under conditions of neurodegeneration, and neuron replacement is eventually possible due to its agonistic acting soluble receptor sIL-6R. Here, we report that activation of the IL-6–signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) axis is neurogenic and has potential therapeutic applications for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD).