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cytokine

File:Cytokine_release.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ212354· pop 53· linked from 2,026 articles

Also known as cytokines, Cytokines

thumb|264x264px|Cytokines (small pink particles) being secreted in a medical animation

AI overview

Cytokines are tiny chemical messengers produced by cells in your body that help coordinate immune responses and communication between cells. They matter because they play a key role in how your body fights infections, regulates inflammation, and maintains overall health.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Research

1,085,114 papers

via PubMed

~16 min read

Encyclopedic overview

25 sections
Contents
  • Terminology and nomenclature
  • Terminology
  • Nomenclature
  • Classification
  • Structural
  • Functional
  • Difference from hormones
  • Receptors
  • Cellular effects
  • Functions in health and disease
  • Infections and other immune responses
  • Embryo development
  • Ageing
  • Narcolepsy and fatigue
  • COVID-19
  • ME/CFS
  • Adverse effects
  • Tumors
  • Cytokine storms
  • Medical use as drugs
  • History of discovery
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • External links

thumb|264x264px|Cytokines (small pink particles) being secreted in a medical animation

Cytokines () are a broad and loose category of small proteins (~5–25 kDa) important in cell signaling. Cytokines are produced by a broad range of cells, including immune cells, as well as endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and various types of connective tissue cells. A single cytokine may be produced by more than one type of cell.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “cytokine” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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