The Immune system is a dynamic symphony of many cell types employed in host protection, regeneration, and regulation. This system is inteded to protect the host from foreign and native factors. To work in concert, the immune system must communicate with exactness. Thus enters the cytokine, a cytokine is a hormone-like portien produced by immune cells.
What are they?
Cytokines and their Kin
- Any of several regulatory proteins, such as the interleukins and lymphokines that are released by cells of the immune system and act as intercellular mediators in the generation of an immune response. (www.dictionary.com)
- Cytokines are referred to as biomarkers of certain responses of the cell due to both intercellular and extra cellular stimuli. They usually work over short periods and in small quantities, and have redundant degrees of functionality although, they can travel through out the body to different areas as needed.
- Cytokine are the messengers of cells and are what cells use to communicate with one another. Cytokines are involved in host of bodily functions including but not limited to regulating inflammatory response and in general maintenance.
- Cytokines are necessary in the immune system to regulate stem cell differentiation, inflammation with the respect to the type of immune response initiated.
- There use in the inflammation process is critical and their detections can help us diagnosis and cure a plethora of infections. Their early detection whether that is an absence or presence of the cytokine can signal a doctor to the acceptability of an organ transplant, possibly reducing the effects of organ failure, and rejection.
An overview of Cytokines and their funtion.
Through cytokines, the immune system regulates stem cell differentiation, inflammation, the type of immune response executed, angiogenesis, and many other events.Because of these various activities, cytokines are also involved in progression and pathogenesis of most diseases.
Most cytokines perform multiple functions and often share the same receptors.
A single cytokine can elicit one effect on one cell type, and a completely different effect on another cell type, then induce a completely different response when administered concomitantly
with other cytokines. This diversity of activity is what allows the immune system to control a great variety of events with a relatively small repertoire of signaling agents.
As a result, the profile of type and concentration of cytokines present at a specific time is critical to receiving the desired function.
Because these profiles define what is happening in the immune system, and because of cytokine involvement in both disease pathogenesis and disease recovery, the monitoring of their levels is an invaluable tool in understanding, diagnosing, and monitoring disease.
Interesting Science Related Links
- Quansys Biosciences Homepage
- Quansys provides products and services to aid researchers in the detection of cytokines in a Multiplex ELISA format.
- Spendlove Research Homepage
- Spendlove is an organization that conducts research in the life science areas.
- Cytokine Tutorial
- A great overview of cytokines and their functions, with a fun little quiz at the bottom. A good comprehensive site of cytokines. This site is maintained by Dr. Janet Decker from the University of Arizona.
- Multiplex ELISA
- A good synopsis of one of the ways in which cytokines can be detected and quantified.
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