IL-11-mediated macrophage crosstalk drives renal inflammation and fibrosis: A novel therapeutic target in chronic kidney disease.

AIMS: To investigate the pathogenic role of Interleukin-11 (IL-11) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression and evaluate the therapeutic potential of IL-11 neutralizing antibodies in attenuating renal inflammation and fibrosis.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

We conducted systematic molecular and cellular analyses to characterize IL-11-mediated signaling pathways in CKD models. The effects of IL-11 on macrophage polarization, cellular transitions, and stress responses were examined. Preclinical efficacy studies were performed using selective IL-11 neutralizing antibodies to assess their impact on renal pathology.

KEY FINDINGS: IL-11 orchestrates renal injury through immune crosstalk between macrophages and tubular epithelial cells (TECs) via STAT3 signaling activation. IL-11 promotes M1 macrophage polarization, facilitates the macrophage-to-myofibroblast transition (MMT), and triggers epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in TECs. Additionally, IL-11 amplifies oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress responses. Treatment with IL-11 neutralizing antibodies effectively interrupted IL-11/IL-11Rα1 interaction and downstream STAT3/ERK1/2-mediated metadherin activation, resulting in reduced pro-fibrotic extracellular matrix deposition, enhanced TEC regenerative capacity, and improved renal parenchymal repair.

SIGNIFICANCE: These findings establish the IL-11 signaling axis as a promising therapeutic target in CKD. The demonstrated efficacy of antibody-based interventions presents a novel precision medicine approach for CKD treatment, offering significant potential for clinical translation in nephrology.