Interleukin 11 (IL11) stimulates tumorigenesis in conjunction with angiogenesis of the primary tumor and of metastatic progenies at distant organs. IL-11 signaling is considered as a rate-limiting step for the tumorigenesis in the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, inhibition of IL-11 signaling can be considered as an emerging therapeutic strategy for various cancers. In addition, this protein also performs a protective role by increasing platelet recovery and inflammatory responses, in sepsis patients with thrombocytopenia. Mutation in the gene increases the risk of susceptibility to Hirschsprung disease and multiple sclerosis (MS).
