IL-5

Alias: Interleukin-5, B-cell differentiation factor I, T-cell replacing factor

IL-5 is a TH2 cytokine that acts as a hematopoietic growth factor that promotes proliferation, activation, and differentiation of eosinophils from bone marrow stem cells. In the human, IL-5 also supports generation of cytotoxic T cells, whereas in mice, IL-5 acts on B cells to induce IL-2R (CD25) expression on activated B cells, proliferation and secretion of IgM and IgA from endotoxin activated B cells.