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All about cytokines in less than 400 words

Most cytokines are short polypeptide molecules (a few are proteins or glycoproteins). They are secreted mainly by activated lymphocytes and macrophages (but also in lesser amounts by lots of other cells in the body). They are kind of like hormones, because they are little messengers that carry a message from one place to another. Usually the message is given to a cell that’s close by (this is called paracrine action), but sometimes the message is given to a far away cell (endocrine) or even back to the cell that made the cytokine (autocrine).

Usually, there’s some external thing – like a bug, or another cytokine – that stimulates the production and secretion of cytokines. The secretion…

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Featured

 A Closer Look into Cytokines

Cytokines are a major part of the immune system. Their roles are vast and complex. Cytokine function as mediators within the immune system and hematopoiesis, which is the process of creating new blood cells. The word cytokine comes from the Greek "Cyto" meaning cell and "kinos" meaning movement. They are a group of small glycoproteins, around 8 to 70 kilodaltons in size, which are secreted by cells of the immune system to allow communication and generate an immune response.

Articles of Interest

Cytokines and How They Work

Cytokines serve as molecular messengers between cells. Cytokines are proteins that are produced by cells. With regard to arthritis, cytokines regulate various inflammatory responses. Cytokines interact with cells of the immune system in order to regulate the body's response to disease and infection, as well as mediate normal cellular processes in the body.

Cytokines, Inflammation and Pain

Cytokine is a general name; other names include lymphokine (cytokines made by lymphocytes), monokine (cytokines made by monocytes), chemokine (cytokines with chemotactic activities), and interleukin (cytokines made by one leukocyte and acting on other leukocytes).

Immune ‘Boosters’ Ignore the Immune System’s Best Quality: Balance

We could stand to learn some lessons from our own immune systems about how we decide when to act and when to lay low.

Inflammatory Cytokines Shape an Altered Immune Response During Myeloid Malignancies

The immune microenvironment is a critical driver and regulator of leukemic progression and hematological disease. Recent investigations have demonstrated that multiple immune components play a central role in regulating hematopoiesis, and dysfunction at the immune cell level significantly contributes to neoplastic disease.

Interferons

Interferons are glycoprotein cytokines secreted by host lymphocytes in response to pathogens. Interferons activate or upregulate immune cells by interacting with receptors that activate signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signalling complexes. This ultimately leads to clearance of the pathogen or clearance of tumour cells from the organism.

The study of cytokines by Japanese researchers: a historical perspective

A number of Japanese scientists have made significant contributions to the identification of cytokines, their receptors and signalling pathways, and application of these novel observations to the clinic has made possible the development of novel therapies for various immune diseases and related disorders.

Resources

Cytokine

An Official journal of the International Cytokine and Interferon Society.

Cytokines.com

The Cytokine Core Laboratory offers an extensive list of human, mouse, and rat cytokine, chemokine and growth factor assays. Two complementary assay platforms are available, each which have their own unique advantages and disadvantages.

International Cytokine and Interferon Society

The International Cytokine and Interferon Society (formerly ISICR and ICS) is a non-profit organization of over 600 scientists devoted to research in the fields of cytokine, interferon and chemokine cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry and the clinical use of these biological response modifiers.

Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research

Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (JICR) provides the latest groundbreaking research on all aspects of IFNs and cytokines. The Journal delivers current findings on emerging topics in this niche community, including the role of IFNs in the therapy of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, the understanding of the third class of IFNs, and the identification and function of IFN-inducible genes.

Cytokines in Inflammatory Disease

Cytokines suffer from a somewhat inconsistent nomenclature; they are referred to as interleukins, chemokines, or growth factors among many other names. Cytokines are made up of so-called superfamilies, not necessarily describing common genes, but rather similar structures

Nature.com

Cytokines are proteins, peptides or glycoproteins secreted by lymphocytes and monocytes that regulate immune responses, haematopoiesis and lymphocyte development. Cytokines include interleukins, chemokines and other signalling molecules. Each cytokine acts through its own receptor on target cells, and these receptors include members of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily and tumour necrosis factor (TNF).

The Cytokine Core

The Cytokine Core is your partner for fast and reliable multiplexed cytokine analysis. We have developed a streamlined process to provide custom quotes for your project, receive samples, perform testing, and report results so that you can continue your research.