Immunology and Cell Biology

Cytokines and Current Research

 Cytokines are a large group of proteins that are secreted by specific cells of immune system. These cytokine molecules aid cell to cell communication in immune responses and stimulate the movement of cells towards sites of inflammation, infection and trauma. Cytokines are released by cells into the circulation or directly into tissue. The cytokines locate target immune cells and interact with receptors on the target immune cells by binding to them. The interaction triggers or stimulates specific responses by the target cells. There are different types of cytokines, including chemokines, interferons, interleukins, lymphokines and tumor necrosis factor. They can act alone, work together or work against each other, but ultimately the role of cytokines is to help regulate the immune response. Cytokines are involved in many aspects of inflammation and immunity. Another level of research is using cytokines to explore the immune system and tease apart the interplay of the various cytokines. Here again, confusion reigns. Whether a particular cytokine stimulates or inhibits the growth of a particular cell type.