Interleukin-27 subunit beta (EBI3)

Associates with IL27 to form the IL-27 interleukin, a heterodimeric cytokine which functions in innate immunity. IL-27 contains pro- and anti-inflammatory properties, that can modulate T- helper cell development, suppress T-cell proliferation, stimulate cytotoxic T-cell activity, induce isotype switching in B-cells, and that has varied effects on innate immune cells.

Among its target cells are CD4 T-helper cells that can differentiate in type 1 effector cells (TH1), type 2 effector cells (TH2) and IL17 producing helper T-cells (TH17). It drives rapid clonal expansion of naive but not memory CD4 T-cells.