Critical conditions for studying Interleukin-11 signalling in vitro and avoid experimental artefacts

Interleukin (IL) 11 is upregulated in a number of fibro-inflammatory diseases and cancer, where it binds the cognate IL11 receptor alpha subunit (IL11RA) to form a hexameric IL11:IL11RA:gp130 signalling complex. Primary cells such as hepatic stellate cells, fibroblasts, and hepatocytes are ideal experimental systems to study IL11 signalling in vitro. In contrast to immortalized cell lines, primary cells better capture physiologically relevant cellular physiology and pathobiology. This collection of protocols details experimental and culturing conditions for primary cells that preserve meaningful cellular states and physiological responses ex vivo in conventional 2D cell culture systems. Our data suggest that cell type, cell culture conditions, passage number, concentrations of stimuli, timing, and other factors have major implications for studies of IL11 signalling. In vitro experiments with primary cell material need to be planned and executed with great caution. Otherwise, physiologically relevant mechanisms may become dysfunctional, and reproducible experimental artefacts can obscure our view of true cytokine biology. RNA-seq of early and late passage human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs: Late, n =4; Early, n=4) and human lung fibroblasts (HLFs, : Late, n =4; Early, n=4).