Looking at interleukin-22 from a new dermatological perspective: from epidermal homeostasis to its role in chronic skin diseases

Abstract

Twenty years after the cloning, characterization, and identification of interleukin (IL)-22 in 2000, the precise biological role of this cytokine in healthy and unhealthy skin is not completely known. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the recent knowledge available in literature about the origin, sources, targets, molecular mechanism of action, and clinical issues regarding IL-22. Last but not least, recent experimental evidence obtained in a 3D model of organotypic culture of normal human skin highlights its homeostatic role and will be discussed in detail, as personal observations. As most of the data concerning IL-22 immunomodulating activity are obtained from mouse models, this work offers a new perspective on its clinical role. The hypothesis herein advanced is that IL-22 profoundly affects keratinocyte terminal differentiation, whereas, in order to induce a proliferation impairment, a more complex psoriatic-like microenvironment is needed.