 IL-11 is a member of the IL-6-type cytokine family, distinguished based on their use of the common co-receptor gp130.Signal specificity is provided by the IL-11Rα subunit which is expressed at high levels in fibroblasts and other stromal cells but not immune cells, unlike IL6 receptors that are expressed at highest levels in immune cells and lowly expressed in stromal cells.Signal transduction is initiated upon binding of IL-11 to IL-11Ralpha and gp130, facilitating the formation of higher order structures involving dimers of gp130