IL-4-Induced Gene 1: A Potential Player in Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Myocardial infarction (MI), a severe outcome of cardiovascular disease, poses a serious threat to human health. Uncontrolled inflammation and excessive cardiomyocyte death, following an infarction event, significantly contribute to both the mortality rate and complications associated with MI. The protein IL-4-induced gene 1 (IL4I1 or FIG1) serves as a natural inhibitor of innate and adaptive immunity, playing a crucial role in CD4+ T cell differentiation, macrophage polarization, and ferroptosis inhibition. Previous studies have linked IL4I1 to acute MI. This review summarizes evidence from both basic and clinical research, highlighting IL4I1 as a critical immunoregulatory enzyme that not only regulates inflammatory responses, but also potentially mitigates MI-induced damage.