We next tested whether these various stimuli were dependent on IL11 for their profibrotic effects by blocking autocrine IL11 signalling with a monoclonal neutralising IL11RA antibody (X209) [19] Compared to an IgG control antibody, PSCs incubated with X209 did not transform into myofibroblast-like cells and expressed significantly reduced αSMA and collagen I along with reduced cell proliferation after stimulation with pancreatitis factors (Figure 2b,c). This evidence concerns the gene IL11 and pancreatitis.