immunology wars
may your immune system defend you
Cytokines
Cytokines are proteins that act as chemical messengers in the immune system acting both to activate and regulate the immune response. Cytokines are a large family of diverse proteins, which help to activate, proliferate or differentiate immune cells.
The diversity of cytokines allow for a highly specific, co-ordinated recruitment and activation of immune cells.
Inappropriate production of cytokines has been implicated in a range of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, where blocking the action of specific cytokines has been shown to help disease sufferers.
Cells
- Basophils
- Eosinophils
- Mast Cells
- Neutrophils
- Monocytes / Macrophages
- Natural Killer Cells
- Dendritic Cells
- B-Lymphocytes
- T-Lymphocytes
- CD4+ T-Lymphocytes
- CD8+ T-Lymphocytes
- Regulatory T-lymphocytes
- Th17 Lymphocytes