IL-6, Novus Biologicals, NB600-1131

We generated a top 1000 list of the most studied and most published proteins and analyzed literature validation data for commercially available research antibodies. IL6 encoding interleukin-6 (IL-6) is the 6th most studied gene on the list. In Zhang et al., Oncology Reports; 45:1105–1117 (2021), the authors investigate investigate whether IL-6 contributes to increased liver cancer cell invasion during sorafenib treatment. Novus Biologicals NB600-1131 is tested by WB (1:2000; 30 µg/lane) using human HCCLM3 cell lysates (WT and TALEN-generated IL-6 KO). Data are shown in Fig 1D. The antibody detects a band labelled 26 kDa, with β-actin as a loading control. Despite strongly reduced IL6 mRNA (Fig 1C), a substantial band remains in the KO sample, raising concern about specific detection of IL-6. The displayed blot does not clearly match the reduction in mRNA. The blot is cropped, limiting assessment of additional nonspecific bands. These data provide limited support for specificity in WB under the tested conditions. We have rated NB600-1131 based on the available information and according to the pAbmAbs criteria.