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 Classification

Cytokine Receptors

Inflammatory Cytokines and Depression

Cytokine Nomenclature

Cytokine Effects

Latest Cytokines News and Research

Mesenchymal drift may explain how aging cells lose their identity

Mesenchymal drift may help explain how cells lose stable identity and acquire pro-fibrotic, inflammatory mesenchymal traits during aging. The review proposes MD as a unifying framework that links multiple hallmarks of aging and highlights partial reprogramming as a potential, but still preclinical, way to counteract this process.

1 Jun 2026

Review explores complex associations between sleep apnea and lung cancer

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder characterized by intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation, which may contribute to lung cancer development and progression.

29 May 2026

Urine-based autism screening using gut microbial metabolites

Elevated gut microbe metabolites may distinguish children with autism, paving the way for a non-invasive urine test and a new ASD subtype linked to microbiome.

29 May 2026

Study uncovers a biological link between chronic oral inflammation and female fertility

Chronic oral inflammation may impair female fertility by triggering a systemic immune response that affects the ovaries.

28 May 2026

How do everyday spices help protect the heart?

A Nutrition Reviews supplement article reviewed controlled studies showing that culinary spice and herb blends may improve selected cardiometabolic risk markers, including post-meal triglycerides, insulin responses, inflammation, endothelial function, and 24-hour blood pressure. The review also highlighted exploratory evidence that spices and herbs may influence immune-cell activity, circulating phytochemical metabolites, and gut bacterial composition, while emphasizing the need for longer and more diverse studies.

27 May 2026

Tomato-soy juice curbs inflammation in obese adults

Drinking tomato-soy juice loaded with compounds shown in animal studies to promote health lowered pro-inflammatory proteins in healthy adults with obesity after four weeks, a new study found.

26 May 2026

Chronic oral inflammation may impair female fertility and egg quality

Chronic oral inflammation may impair female fertility by triggering a systemic immune response that affects the ovaries.

26 May 2026

Researchers uncover immune mechanisms behind polycystic kidney disease progression

A new review has illuminated a critical but often overlooked dimension of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD)—its immune microenvironment.

24 May 2026

Gum disease pathogen may drive Alzheimer’s through microglial ferroptosis pathway

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the leading cause of dementia, is projected to affect 152 million individuals worldwide by 2050; yet its pathogenesis remains poorly understood and effective treatments are lacking.

24 May 2026

Pim1 identified as promising therapeutic target for inflammatory arthritis treatment

The research team led by Professor Zhongyu Xie from Sun Yat-sen University revealed a new mechanism by which Pim1 regulated Th17 cell differentiation through mitochondrial metabolism.

22 May 2026

Scientists map genetic variants behind prostate cancer therapy failure

Recently, the research group led by Dr. Dechao Feng, Lecturer at University College London (UCL) and Distinguished Research Fellow at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, published a review entitled "Intratumoral Androgens and Genetic Variants Driving Therapy Resistance in Prostate Cancer".

22 May 2026

Polymer-based immunotherapies enhance tumor targeting and immune activation

Conventional immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, can reinvigorate T cells but typically benefit less than 30% of patients.

21 May 2026

Cytokine-armored CAR-T cell therapy successfully attacks aggressive brain tumors in mice

Scientists at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a new cytokine-armored CAR-T cell therapy that helps the immune system better attack aggressive brain tumors in mice while reducing dangerous side effects that have long limited immune-based treatments for glioblastoma, one of the deadliest and most treatment-resistant brain cancers.

20 May 2026

Anti-inflammatory drug tocilizumab shows promise for difficult-to-treat depression

Immunotherapy could be a promising new treatment option for patients with difficult-to-treat depression. This is a key finding from a University of Bristol-led pilot randomised controlled clinical trial, published in JAMA Psychiatry today [20 May].

20 May 2026

Engineered nanomaterials optimize delivery barriers in cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy works by mobilizing the body's own immune system to recognize and destroy malignant cells.

20 May 2026

Biomimetic nanocomposite hydrogel promotes tendon healing and tissue regeneration

The new system, termed KGN@PB@CM, combines several advanced elements. Prussian blue (PB) nanozymes act as potent reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers, while kartogenin (KGN)-a small molecule that promotes stem cell migration and tenogenic differentiation-is loaded onto the PB core.

20 May 2026

How antibody-drug conjugates are redefining targeted cancer therapy

Antibody-drug conjugates are rapidly expanding cancer therapies, with 19 approved globally and many more in development, but their success depends on better targets, payloads, linkers, dosing, and patient selection. The Cell review shows that next-generation ADCs could widen treatment options, but safety, resistance, tumor heterogeneity, and clinical translation remain major barriers.

19 May 2026

New therapies could help type 1 diabetes care move beyond insulin alone

Disease-modifying therapies for type 1 diabetes are beginning to move care beyond insulin replacement by targeting immune dysregulation, beta-cell stress, and preservation of endogenous beta-cell function. Teplizumab marks a major clinical milestone, but the review emphasizes that durable metabolic remission will likely require earlier screening, better patient selection, and sequential or combination therapies.

18 May 2026

New guidelines for identifying and treating high-risk IEC-HS patients

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has revolutionized the treatment of hematologic malignancies, offering durable responses for patients with otherwise refractory disease. However, its clinical success is accompanied by a spectrum of immune-related toxicities, which remain a major challenge in practice.

15 May 2026

Researchers develop pH and redox-sensitive systems to reduce immunotherapy toxicity

Although cancer immunotherapy has transformed treatment by harnessing the immune system to eliminate tumors, only a small subset of patients benefit. Many solid tumors remain "cold," characterized by poor immune cell infiltration and resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB).

15 May 2026