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

Inflammatory Cytokines and Depression

Cytokine Nomenclature

Cytokine Effects

Cytokine Classification

Latest Cytokines News and Research

Natural products offer promising solutions in prosthodontics and oral implantology

Infection control is paramount in prosthodontics and oral implantology to prevent complications like denture stomatitis and peri-implantitis.

22 Aug 2025

Study reveals how SARS-CoV-2 hijacks testicular lipid metabolism to replicate

The COVID-19 virus hijacks the machinery of testicular cells that produce the hormone testosterone in order to replicate.

21 Aug 2025

Scientists explore hookworm proteins as potential treatment for inflammation

It's been a long-accepted reality that with age comes increased inflammation – so widely accepted it's been dubbed "inflammaging."

21 Aug 2025

Red meat consumption disrupts gut bacteria and worsens colonic inflammation

Epidemiological studies have revealed a strong correlation between red meat consumption and the development of inflammatory bowel disease.

20 Aug 2025

Extreme weather events put children’s brains and mental health at risk, researchers warn

Extreme weather events are increasingly recognized as adverse childhood experiences (E-ACEs) that disrupt brain development, stress regulation, and long-term health. Researchers warn that children, especially in low- and middle-income countries, face lifelong mental and physical health risks without urgent resilience-building interventions.

19 Aug 2025

New molecule shows promise in treating acetaminophen-induced liver injury

Acetaminophen is one of the most common painkillers and is found in hundreds of different medications. While safe at recommended doses, acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of acute liver injury in the U.S.

18 Aug 2025

New therapies for acute kidney injury show promise

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a severe renal disorder affecting approximately 10%-15% of hospitalized patients and up to 50% in intensive care units (ICUs). Its pathogenesis involves complex inflammatory regulatory mechanisms. As core components of the cytokine network, interleukins (ILs) exert pleiotropic effects in AKI development, extensively participating in inflammation, fibrosis, tissue injury repair, and remote organ damage.

18 Aug 2025

Respiratory viruses awaken dormant breast cancer cells and raise relapse risk

Respiratory viruses such as influenza and COVID-19 can reactivate dormant breast cancer cells in the lungs, raising the risk of metastasis. The process is driven by IL-6–induced cell changes and immune suppression, with the highest recurrence risk soon after infection.

14 Aug 2025

Cervicovaginal microbiome features predict severe chlamydia infection

A new study has identified markers that may predict whether a chlamydia infection is likely to ascend into the uterus and endometrium.

14 Aug 2025

Study links baseline fatigue with higher inflammation in breast cancer survivors

For many breast cancer survivors, fatigue may linger long after treatment ends, which can have a significant impact on cognitive function, ability to work, and overall quality of life.

12 Aug 2025

New insights into how keto diet can restore cognitive function following status epilepticus

Epilepsy affects over 70 million people worldwide, and a significant portion of patients suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), where standard medications fail.

11 Aug 2025

Exosomes play a dual role in cancer progression and immune regulation

Tiny extracellular vesicles known as exosomes are emerging as key regulators of the tumor microenvironment (TME), influencing how cancer progresses, spreads, and responds to treatment.

7 Aug 2025

Immune aging drives the progression of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a global metabolic epidemic driven by insulin resistance (IR), chronic inflammation, and β-cell failure.

6 Aug 2025

Gut microbiota and short chain fatty acids influence bone health in postmenopausal osteoporosis

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is framed as a systemic bone disease driven by estrogen withdrawal, but emerging evidence positions gut dysbiosis and its fermentation products—short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)—as equally influential regulators of skeletal fate.

6 Aug 2025

Smart wound patch detects healing progress and infection risk

RMIT's Bluetooth-enabled flexible sensor patch monitors wound healing, detecting biomarkers and vital signs without dressing removal for improved patient care.

6 Aug 2025

Study uncovers inflammatory pathways that contribute to asthma flare-ups in children

A recent multicenter clinical trial has uncovered inflammatory pathways that contribute to asthma flare-ups in children that occur despite treatment, according to findings published in JAMA Pediatrics.

1 Aug 2025

The vicious circle of aging and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly NAFLD) and aging are locked in a vicious circle: senescence of liver cells accelerates fat accumulation, inflammation and fibrosis, while chronic steatosis in turn hastens hepatic decline.

1 Aug 2025

PD-1 helps guide immune memory cells to the skin early during infection

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have discovered that PD-1—a molecule best known for putting the brakes on immune cells—also plays a critical role in helping T cells become long-term immune defenders in the skin.

30 Jul 2025

Pyruvate identified as a promising oral treatment for ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease marked by intestinal pain, bleeding, and impaired gut barrier function.

29 Jul 2025

How a leaky gut could be putting your heart at risk

Researchers reviewed recent studies showing that gut dysbiosis contributes to heart failure by weakening the gut barrier, enabling harmful metabolites like TMAO to trigger inflammation and cardiac damage. The review highlights a bidirectional “gut-heart axis” and points to new avenues for dietary and microbial therapies.

28 Jul 2025