Human Interleukin-13

Interleukin 13 (IL-13) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IL13 gene. IL-13 was first cloned in 1993 and is located on chromosome 5q31 with a length of 1.4kb. IL-13 and IL-4 exhibit a 30% of sequence similarity and have a similar structure. IL-13 is cytokine secreted by many cell types, but especially T helper type 2 (Th2) cells, that is a mediator of allergic inflammation and disease.