cytokine
IL-17
Barrier defense cytokine that recruits neutrophils and amplifies epithelial antimicrobial programs
Review layer
Last reviewed 2026-05-17
Systems teaching draft. Content is structured for education and graph expansion, with formal source tagging ready for the next review pass.
State signature
Systems profile
Cascade viewer
Source → signal → tissue behavior
Sources
Signal
IL-17
Targets and effects
Graph neighborhood
Direct relationships
Barrier chemokine programs recruit neutrophils
IL-17 and other inflammatory cytokines can amplify osteoclast-supporting osteoimmune signaling
IL-17 is the signature barrier recruitment signal for fungal and extracellular defense contexts
Cytokine ecology
Signal Role
IL-17 supports fungal and extracellular bacterial defense but becomes pathogenic when barrier or autoantigen loops persist.
Pathway
Source Cells
Target Cells
Inflammatory Role
Induces chemokines and antimicrobial peptides that recruit and activate neutrophil-rich barrier responses.
Regulatory Role
Protects mucosal surfaces when microbiome and epithelial context are balanced.