Assignment:
Question 1
One of the most lethal aspects of COVID-19 infection is the induction of a "cytokine storm" caused by high levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) signaling. This assignment will guide you through an investigation into IL-6 cell signaling and how this works in normal physiology and disease. You'll need to include diagrams and I'd prefer it if you drew them yourself (you'll learn more that way).
(a) In one sentence, describe interleukin-6 (i.e., tell me what it is). Include a diagram of the IL-6 structure in your answer.
(b) Which cell types secrete IL-6?
(c) What are the canonical (normal) receptors for IL-6 and how do they work? Include a diagram in your answer.
(d) Write a paragraph summarizing the intracellular effectors of IL-6 signaling and their function. Again, please include a diagram to illustrate your answer.
(e) Which IL-6 intracellular effector proteins are shared with the receptor tyrosine kinase pathway?
(f) Describe how "trans" IL-6 signaling occurs and why this might be pro-inflammatory. Include a diagram to illustrate your answer.
(g) Tocilizumab has been developed as a therapy for inflammatory diseases. What is tocilizumab and how does it work?
(h) In APA style (or similar), list the citations that you used to complete this assignment (this should be at least two).