Is interleukin-12 receptor/STAT4 signaling required for the development of autoimmune myocarditis in mice by an interferon-gamma-independent pathway?
IL-12/IL-12R/STAT4 signaling promotes the development of EAM. In contrast, IFN-gamma plays a protective role. The disease-limiting effects of IFN-gamma might be explained by its ability to control the expansion of activated T lymphocytes.
Cell line models offer a window of what might happen in vivo but have the benefit of being human derived and homogenous with regard to cell type.