The ST2 gene, also known as T1, Fit1, or DER4, was originally identified as a responsive gene that was highly induced by stimulation of various proliferation-inducing agents including serum, PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor), FGF (fibroblast growth factor), or lysophosphatidic acid in murine fibroblasts. Three distinct forms of gene products have been reported and named ST2, ST2V, and ST2L. ST2 is a soluble secreted form of a 37 kDa protein, which lacks an intracellular domain, whereas ST2L is a transmembrane form of a 62 kDa protein (the glycosylated forms of ST2 and ST2L are about 57 and 80 kDa, respectively). This ST2L protein is very similar to IL-1R (interleukin-1 receptor) type I and II in structure, thus it is considered a member of the IL-1R family. ST2V, which is another novel variant form of human ST2, has been identified recently. ST2 proteins are expressed in several types of human cells, including hematopoietic cells in various stages of differentiation, a population of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy individuals, glioblastoma and astrocytoma cell lines, and colon cancer cells in addition to fibroblast cell lines. Thus ST2 proteins are considered to have some roles in regulating cell growth or proliferation. On the other hand, definitive functions of ST2 proteins and their ligand molecule(s) which bind to ST2 proteins have remained unclear, though it has been reported that IL-1a, ß, RA (receptor antagonist) do not bind to ST2 proteins in spite of their structural similarity to IL-1R. This indicates that the ST2L protein is functionally independent from IL-1R. Furthermore, several studies have shown that ST2L is expressed on the cell surface of Th2 cells but not on Th1 cells, indicating the possibility that the ST2L protein participates not only in the regulation of cell growth or proliferation, but also in the immune system including differentiation of T cells or immunological response via helper T cells. From these observations, ST2 proteins are considered to be important proteins that participate in various physiological phenomenons, thus further analysis is required to understand its physiological functions.Synonyms: DER4, FIT-1, Homolog of mouse growth stimulation-expressed, Interleukin-1 receptor-like 1, MGC32623