Eliza Parvez, Vandana Arora Sethi and Radha Goel*

Lloyd Institute of Management and Technology, Plot No.- 11, Knowledge Park-2, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

*Corresponding Author: Radha Goel, Professor, Lloyd Institute of Management and Technology, Plot No.- 11, Knowledge Park-2, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Received: May 28, 2025; Published: June 20, 2025

Abstract

IL-6 is a multifunctional cytokine that is significant for the regulation of immunity, tissue repair, metabolism, and neurobiology. Even though IL-6 is involved in protective immune responses, it's a condition that may bring about chronic inflammation and multiple pathologies such as autoimmune diseases, cancers, infectious diseases, metabolic syndromes, and recently COVID-19. The dual nature of IL-6 as a mediator of immune defence and driver of inflammatory diseases underlines its importance in health and disease. Therapeutic strategies focused on IL-6 have transformed the treatment of many inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases. Monoclonal antibodies such as tocilizumab and sarilumab have shown impressive efficacy, especially in autoimmune diseases and cytokine storm syndromes. Currently, IL-6-targeted therapies are under way, including small molecule inhibitors, gene-editing technologies, and nanoparticle-based delivery systems, which will help to make better patient outcomes. Among the challenges are drug resistance, increased risk of infection, and high costs of treatment. Besides its therapeutic potential, IL-6 acts as a useful biomarker in disease diagnosis and monitoring, especially in conditions such as sepsis, cancer, and COVID-19. Its inclusion in multi-biomarker panels and its application in personalized medicine open new avenues for improving diagnosis and treatment customization. New findings about the intricate interactions of IL-6 with other cytokines further extend our understanding in aging, neuropsychiatric disorders, and metabolic regulation. Future studies with advancements in technologies promise to provide even finer understanding of IL-6 signalling and to discover novel therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities. The present review underscores the duality of IL-6, its clinical significance, and future directions in research toward improved healthcare outcomes through better-targeted therapies and diagnostic tools.

Keywords: Interleukin-6; Cytokine; Inflammation; Immune Response; Autoimmune Diseases; Cancer; Infectious Diseases; Metabolic Syndromes; COVID-19; Therapeutic Strategies; Monoclonal Antibodies; Cytokine Storm

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Citation

Citation: Radha Goel., et al. “Interleukin-6: A Dual Edged Sword in Immunity, Disease and Therapy". Acta Scientific Pharmaceutical Sciences 9.7 (2025): 11-23.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Radha Goel., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.