Cytokines

Cytokine is a substance that is made by cells of the immune system. Some cytokines can boost the immune response and others can suppress it. Cytokines can also be made in the laboratory by recombinant DNA technology and used in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer.

What are Cytokines?

The term "cytokine" is derived from a combination of two Greek words - "cyto" meaning cell and "kinos" meaning movement. Cytokines are cell signalling molecules that aid cell to cell communication in immune responses and stimulate the movement of cells towards sites of inflammation, infection and trauma.

Cytokine Receptors

Cytokine Effects

Cytokine Classification

Inflammatory Cytokines and Depression

Cytokine Nomenclature

Latest Cytokines News and Research

PFOA exposure disrupts hormone signaling and impairs embryo implantation in mice

A new experimental study has found that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a widely used industrial chemical, can interfere with key biological processes required for successful embryo implantation, raising concerns about its potential impact on female fertility.

27 Jan 2026

How modern lifestyles reprogram the gut microbiome and shape disease risk

Modern lifestyle factors such as circadian disruption, sleep deprivation, stress, and exercise reshape the gut bacteriome and its metabolic outputs. These microbiome changes are linked to immune, metabolic, and cancer-related pathways, largely through evidence from animal models and observational human studies.

27 Jan 2026

Tiny plastic particles may interfere with brain processes implicated in Parkinson’s disease

Micro- and nanoplastics are increasingly detected in human tissues, including the brain, and experimental evidence suggests they can interact with biological pathways central to Parkinson’s disease pathology. This review synthesises mechanistic data indicating that plastic particles may influence protein aggregation, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the gut–brain axis, while emphasising the need for prospective human studies.

26 Jan 2026

AI-designed NLRP3 inhibitor receives FDA clearance for Parkinson disease trials

Insilico Medicine (3696.HK), a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company driven by generative artificial intelligence (AI), today announced that ISM8969, an orally available NLRP3 inhibitor targeting inflammation and neurodegenerative disorders, has recently received investigational new drug (IND) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), intended for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease.

23 Jan 2026

Targeted uterine mRNA treatment boosts fertility outcomes in mice

Researchers from the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine Center for Nanomedicine - which designs nanotechnology-based platforms for clinical translation across specialties - developed a strategy for delivering therapeutic messenger RNA (mRNA) to the inner lining of the uterus (endometrium) in mice via modified lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which are small capsules made of fatty molecules.

22 Jan 2026

Methionine: A dietary key to surviving infection

As soon as you are wounded-whether from grabbing a hot pan or contracting the flu-you begin a unique journey through variable symptoms toward either recovery or death.

22 Jan 2026

Myosteatosis: An emerging predictor of outcomes in chronic liver disease

Myosteatosis, the pathological infiltration of fat into skeletal muscle, is increasingly recognized as a key predictor of poor clinical outcomes across a spectrum of liver diseases.

22 Jan 2026

Natural brakes on inflammation could treat chronic diseases

Researchers at University College London (UCL) have uncovered a key mechanism that helps the body switch off inflammation – a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for chronic diseases affecting millions worldwide.

16 Jan 2026

Pregnant individuals with inflammatory bowel disease show heightened vaginal inflammation

Pregnant individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have higher levels of pro-inflammatory immune molecules, known as cytokines, in their vaginal mucosa than their healthy counterparts, according to a new study published January 14, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Ana Maldonado-Contreras of University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, U.S., and colleagues.

14 Jan 2026

Ultrasound-responsive nanocatchers enable precise in-situ tumor antigen capture

Professor Zhaohui Tang and Associate Professor Zhilin Liu from the team of Professor Xuesi Chen at the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed ultrasound-responsive in-situ antigen nanocatchers (S-nanocatchers), achieving precise spatiotemporal capture of tumor antigens and controllable acquisition of in-situ vaccines.

9 Jan 2026

Engineered extracellular vesicles enable antigen-specific regulatory T cell induction

A research team at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) and the Faculty of Medicine at Kanazawa University has developed a new class of engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) capable of inducing antigen-specific regulatory T cells (Tregs), the immune cells that play a central role in suppressing excessive immune responses.

22 Dec 2025

Lentilactobacillus kefiri can prevent and even reverse aging-related immune alterations

The process of aging is associated with a decline in immune functions and persistent low-level inflammation.

16 Dec 2025

Frog-derived bacteria offer dual-action anticancer effects and high safety

A research team of Prof. Eijiro Miyako at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) has discovered that the bacterium Ewingella americana, isolated from the intestines of Japanese tree frogs (Dryophytes japonicus), possesses remarkably potent anticancer activity. This groundbreaking research has been published in the international journal Gut Microbes.

16 Dec 2025

Combining stem cell therapy and BDNF enhancement to manage Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related, progressive, neurodegenerative condition, caused by loss of dopamine-producing neurons.

16 Dec 2025

GDF3 protein sustains harmful inflammation in aging immune cells

As people age, their bodies develop a dysfunctional immune system, which can leave older adults more susceptible to conditions like sepsis.

15 Dec 2025

Exploring melatonin therapeutic potential in systemic lupus erythematosus

A recent review published in Current Molecular Pharmacology explores the therapeutic potential of melatonin in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a complex autoimmune disease affecting multiple organs.

12 Dec 2025

AI-guided discovery of selective DGKα inhibitors to overcome checkpoint resistance in solid cancers

Insilico Medicine has developed a new class of small molecule inhibitors targeting diacylglycerol kinase alpha (DGKα) designed to restore T cell function and overcome resistance to immune checkpoint blockades in solid cancers.

12 Dec 2025

New findings show why the human intestine uniquely presents gluten to T cells

Human intestinal M cells function as dendritic cell-like antigen-presenting cells, displaying constitutive MHC-II activity and specialized machinery for processing gluten. Their ability to deamidate and present gliadin peptides positions them as key initiators of immune responses relevant to coeliac disease.

11 Dec 2025

Review highlights emerging role of tumor MHC-II in shaping cancer immunotherapy outcomes

Cancer immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment, yet many patients experience limited or short-lived responses due to immune evasion, tumor heterogeneity, and immune-related adverse events.

11 Dec 2025

Researchers unravel why mRNA-based vaccines for COVID-19 can cause heart damage

Stanford Medicine investigators have unearthed the biological process by which mRNA-based vaccines for COVID-19 can cause heart damage in some young men and adolescents - and they've shown a possible route to reducing its likelihood.

10 Dec 2025

Cytokines

Overview

Cytokine Receptors

Cytokine Effects

Cytokine Classification

Feature Articles

Inflammatory Cytokines and Depression

Cytokine Nomenclature

Latest Cytokines News and Research

PFOA exposure disrupts hormone signaling and impairs embryo implantation in mice

How modern lifestyles reprogram the gut microbiome and shape disease risk

Tiny plastic particles may interfere with brain processes implicated in Parkinson’s disease

AI-designed NLRP3 inhibitor receives FDA clearance for Parkinson disease trials

Targeted uterine mRNA treatment boosts fertility outcomes in mice

Methionine: A dietary key to surviving infection

Myosteatosis: An emerging predictor of outcomes in chronic liver disease

Natural brakes on inflammation could treat chronic diseases

Pregnant individuals with inflammatory bowel disease show heightened vaginal inflammation

Ultrasound-responsive nanocatchers enable precise in-situ tumor antigen capture

Engineered extracellular vesicles enable antigen-specific regulatory T cell induction

Lentilactobacillus kefiri can prevent and even reverse aging-related immune alterations

Frog-derived bacteria offer dual-action anticancer effects and high safety

Combining stem cell therapy and BDNF enhancement to manage Parkinson’s disease

GDF3 protein sustains harmful inflammation in aging immune cells

Exploring melatonin therapeutic potential in systemic lupus erythematosus

AI-guided discovery of selective DGKα inhibitors to overcome checkpoint resistance in solid cancers

New findings show why the human intestine uniquely presents gluten to T cells

Review highlights emerging role of tumor MHC-II in shaping cancer immunotherapy outcomes

Researchers unravel why mRNA-based vaccines for COVID-19 can cause heart damage

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

How GLP‑1 Agonists Are Shaping the Future of Obesity Treatment With Dr Bryony Henderson

Cytokines

Overview

Feature Articles

Inflammatory Cytokines and Depression

Cytokine Nomenclature

Latest Cytokines News and Research

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

How GLP‑1 Agonists Are Shaping the Future of Obesity Treatment With Dr Bryony Henderson

Newsletters you may be interested in