Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/umls/id/C1512588
NCI: Interleukin-12 (IL-12) promotes cell-mediated immunity by inducing Th1 cell differentiation and activation of both T cells and NK cells. Dendritic cells and macrophages in peripheral tissues act as antigen presenting cells and secrete IL-12 as one component of the antigen response, Th1 differentiation. The role of IL-12 in cellular immunity is largely mediated by the STAT-4 transcription factor. STAT-4 is essential for IL-12 activity and the phenotype of mice lacking STAT-4 is very similar to the phenotype of mice lacking the IL-12 receptor or IL-12. The role of IL-12 in Th1 differentiation may not be to induce the Th1 cell fate, but to stimulate growth of cells determined for the Th1 cell fate by the T-bet transcription factor. Several signaling pathways contribute to IL-12 activation of STAT-4 to regulate cell-mediated immune responses. The JAK kinases such as JAK2 and TYK2 interact with the activated IL-12 receptor and tyrosine phosphorylate the IL-12 receptor and STAT-4. IL-12 also activates a map ki