This invention relates to compounds, compositions, and methods useful for modulating 
interleukin and / or 
interleukin receptor gene expression using short interfering 
nucleic acid (siNA) molecules. This invention also relates to compounds, compositions, and methods useful for modulating the expression and activity of other genes involved in pathways of 
interleukin and / or 
interleukin receptor gene expression and / or activity by 
RNA interference (RNAi) using small 
nucleic acid molecules. In particular, the instant invention features small 
nucleic acid molecules, such as short interfering nucleic acid (siNA), short interfering 
RNA (siRNA), double-stranded 
RNA (dsRNA), micro-RNA (mRNA), and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) molecules and methods used to modulate the expression of interleukin and / or 
interleukin receptor genes such as IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-11, IL-12, IL-13, IL-14, IL-15, IL-16, IL-17, IL-18, IL-19, IL-20, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, IL-24, IL-25, IL-26, and IL-27 genes and IL-IR, IL-2R, IL-3R, IL-4R, IL-5R, IL-6R, IL-7R, IL-8R, IL-9R, IL-10R, IL-11R, IL-12R, IL-13R, IL-14R, IL-15R, IL-16R, IL-17R, IL-18R, IL-19R, IL-20R, IL-21R, IL-22R, IL-23R, IL-24R, IL-25R, IL-26R, and IL-27R genes.