Il6 Mouse Models

Why Model Il6

Il6 is the mouse ortholog of human IL6 and encodes interleukin-6, a pleiotropic cytokine produced by many cell types. IL-6 signals through IL-6Rα and gp130 and the JAK/STAT3 pathway and has been associated with regulation of inflammation, the acute-phase response, and immune cell differentiation.

IL-6 is implicated in inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, and IL-6 pathway inhibitors are used clinically. Il6-deficient mice are viable and show impaired acute-phase and immune responses.

Model Applications

Il6 knockout mice have been used to study inflammation and immune regulation. Humanized IL6 models, often paired with the IL-6 receptor, have been used to evaluate IL-6-pathway-targeted biologics in immunocompetent mice.

Custom Il6 Model Options

Engineered to your specifications, with molecular validation of the targeted allele and germline transmission guaranteed.

• Conventional knockout
• Conditional knockout
• Point mutation / knockin
• Reporter knockin
• Humanized
• Targeted transgenic

Sources

• STAT3 signaling pathway in health and disease. MedComm (2020). 2025. doi:10.1002/mco2.70152
• Kopf M et al. Impaired immune and acute-phase responses in interleukin-6-deficient mice. Nature. 1994. doi:10.1038/368339a0
• Hirano T et al. Complementary DNA for a novel human interleukin (BSF-2) that induces B lymphocytes to produce immunoglobulin. Nature. 1986. doi:10.1038/324073a0

Last reviewed: October 22, 2026 · Reviewed by: Paul Sheiffele

Related gene targets: Il6r · Il6st · Stat3 · Il11