The multifaceted roles of oncostatin M and its receptor in skin immunity, inflammation, and tumorigenesis

Oncostatin M (OSM), part of the IL-6 cytokine family, is critical in cancer, inflammation, and skin immunity. After being produced by neutrophils, T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and macrophages after tissue damage or infection, OSM activates the phosphoinoside 3-kinase/protein kinase B, Jak/signal transducer and activator of transcription, MAPK, and JNK signaling pathways through type I (LIFRβ/gp130) or type II (OSMRβ/gp130) receptors. Although OSM has been widely studied in inflammatory diseases and cancers, its role in skin immunity has only recently gained attention as a therapeutic target, and the links between skin immunity and cancer remain underexplored. This review examines OSM's therapeutic potential in tumors and inflammatory diseases of the skin.