Walking down the "IL": The Newfound Marriage between IL-36 and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

McCombs and Kolls discuss a study by Kovach et al which reported on their investigations into the relationship between IL-36 cytokine expression and lung inflammation in long-term smokers with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study has identified IL-36 as a clear marker of chronic lung inflammation in long-term smokers (LTS) and suggests a significant role for these cytokines in the progression of declining lung function. It also presents the potential for using IL-36 as a diagnostic tool in assessing lung damage in COPD.