interleukin

noun

Etymology: From inter- + leuko- + -in; *inter-: from Latin inter- (“between, amid”), a form of prepositional inter (“between”). *leuko: from Ancient Greek λευκός (leukós, “white”) *-in: from French -ine, from Latin -īna, feminine of -īnus "of" or "belonging to"

1. Any of a group of cytokine proteins important in the regulation of lymphocyte function.

   “Indeed, it’s possible to create the full storm of cold symptoms with no cold virus at all, but only a potent cocktail of the so-called inflammatory mediators that the body makes itself[,] among them, cytokines, kinins, prostaglandins and interleukins, powerful little chemical messengers that cause the blood vessels in the nose to dilate and leak, stimulate the secretion of mucus, activate sneeze and cough reflexes and set off pain in our nerve fibers.”

   “As another interleukin 12/23 antagonist, briakinumab, was withdrawn from further development in part due to concerns about cardiovascular safety, discussion has also emerged on cardiovascular safety of ustekinumab.”