IL-1 alpha Recombinant Rabbit mAb (S-6193)

Interleukin-1α (IL-1α) is a unique "dual-function" cytokine encoded by the IL1A gene. Unlike IL-1β, it is constitutively present in nearly all resting non-hematopoietic cells and serves a dual role as both a nuclear transcriptional regulator and an extracellular inflammatory signal. As a precursor protein (31 kDa), IL-1α is biologically active without requiring processing; its N-terminal pro-piece contains a nuclear localization sequence that allows it to enter the nucleus and participate in transcriptional regulation, while its C-terminal mature form (17 kDa) can be cleaved by the calcium-dependent protease calpain and secreted via a non-classical pathway. When cells undergo necrosis or tissue injury, IL-1α is passively released into the extracellular space, acting as an "alarmin" that rapidly initiates inflammatory responses, recruits neutrophils, and induces surrounding cells to produce IL-1β as well as other cytokines and chemokines. In addition, IL-1α plays a complex role in the tumor microenvironment: its membrane-bound form can enhance tumor immunogenicity, whereas the precursor form released by dying tumor cells promotes tumor invasion, angiogenesis, and myeloid cell-mediated immunosuppression. Its high nuclear expression is also associated with perineural invasion and poor prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.