The IL-10/STAT3-mediated anti-inflammatory response: recent developments and future challenges

Inflammation is a fundamental response of the immune system whose successful termination involves the elimination of the invading pathogens, the resolution of inflammation and the repair of the local damaged tissue. In this context, the interleukin 10 (IL-10)-mediated anti-inflammatory response (AIR) represents an essential homeostatic mechanism that controls the degree and duration of inflammation. Here, we review recent work on the mechanistic characterization of the IL-10-mediated AIR on multiple levels: from the cataloguing of the in vivo genomic targets of STAT3 (the transcription factor downstream of IL-10) to the identification of specific co-factors that endow STAT3 with genomic-binding specificity, and how genomic and computational methods are being used to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of this essential physiological response in macrophages.