An ancient evolutionary origin for IL-1 cytokines as mediators of immunity
Francisco Fontenla-Iglesias, Tse-Mao Lin, Amelia G. Williams, Sabyasachi Das, C Y Lee, Jonathan P. Rast, Max D. Cooper, Katherine M. Buckley, Sebastian D. Fugmann
This study identifies an ancient evolutionary origin of IL-1 cytokines in invertebrates, showing they share key features with mammalian IL-1 proteins and suggest a foundational role in animal immunity.
bioRxiv · Jul 17, 2025 · PreprintImmunology