IL-7 (human) (rec.) (His)

Interleukin-7 (IL-7), is a hematopoietic growth factor and a member of the IL-7/IL-9 family. IL-7 stimulates the proliferation of lymphoid progenitors and is secreted by stromal cells in the bone marrow and thymus. IL-7 is also important for proliferation during certain stages of B cell maturation. IL-7 and the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) form a heterodimer that functions as a pre-pro-B cell growth-stimulating factor. It is found to be a cofactor for V(D)J rearrangement of the T cell receptor beta (TCRbeta) during early T cell development. IL-7 can be produced locally by intestinal epithelial and epithelial goblet cells and may serve as a regulatory factor for intestinal mucosal lymphocytes.