Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42875473›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2026

Selective inhibition of IL-6 trans-signalling reveals distinct mechanisms of human classic and trans-signalling receptor-complex formation.

Emelie Rieneck, Jan René Haak, Kamal Asgarov, Jean-René Pallandre, Nicole Wundrack, Julia Ettich, Niloufarsadat Miri, Doreen M Floss, Jürgen Scheller, Christoph Garbers and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Emelie RieneckOtto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Institute of Biology, Chair of Systems Biology, Magdeburg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-6662-0450
Jan René HaakOtto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Institute of Biology, Chair of Systems Biology, Magdeburg, Germany.
Kamal AsgarovINSERM U1098, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.
Jean-René PallandreINSERM U1098, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.
Nicole WundrackOtto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Institute of Biology, Chair of Systems Biology, Magdeburg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0894-8448
Julia EttichInstitute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Niloufarsadat MiriOtto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Institute of Biology, Chair of Systems Biology, Magdeburg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6619-9524
Doreen M FlossInstitute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6675-5313
Jürgen SchellerInstitute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9932-1055
Christoph GarbersInstitute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4939-6950
Andy ClarkMabdesigns Ltd, London, UK.
John WijdenesMabdesigns Ltd, London, UK.
Fred SchaperOtto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Institute of Biology, Chair of Systems Biology, Magdeburg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8899-5414
Anna DittrichOtto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Institute of Biology, Chair of Systems Biology, Magdeburg, Germany. anna.dittrich@ovgu.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1056-4219

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) 491828060
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The cytokine interleukin-6 orchestrates inflammation through two distinct pathways of receptor activation: anti-inflammatory classic signalling via membrane-bound interleukin-6 receptor and pro-inflammatory trans-signalling via soluble interleukin-6 receptor. Current interleukin-6-targeted therapies block both pathways, thereby disrupting essential homeostatic functions initiated by classic signalling. We here show a high-affinity, human-specific antibody that selectively inhibits interleukin-6 trans-signalling. This antibody maintains classic signalling-induced expression of hepatic acute phase genes while completely blocking trans-signalling-induced activation of endothelial cells. By targeting the domain D2 of membrane-bound and soluble human interleukin-6 receptor, the antibody selectively prevents formation of the trans-signalling receptor complex without interfering with ligand binding. This selective blockade demonstrates that human interleukin-6 classic and trans-signalling proceed through distinct receptor assemblies. Our findings describe mechanistic insight into interleukin-6 receptor assembly and provide a strategy to suppress inflammatory interleukin-6 activity while preserving regenerative and anti-inflammatory signalling, thus offering both conceptual and potential therapeutic advances in the targeted modulation of cytokine signalling networks.

Indexed as

Interleukin-6Interleukin-6 InhibitorsReceptors, Interleukin-6Signal TransductionHumansIL6 protein, humanIL6R protein, humanInterleukin-6Interleukin-6 InhibitorsReceptors, Interleukin-6

Identifiers

PMID42875473
PMCPMC13669321

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.