cytokine
noun
cy·to·kine
| \ ˈsī-tə-ˌkīn
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Definition of cytokine
: any of a class of immunoregulatory proteins (such as interleukin or interferon) that are secreted by cells especially of the immune system
Examples of cytokine in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sometimes the T cells go overboard, secreting cytokine storms that have killed patients. — Megan Molteni, WIRED, "Scientists Can Finally Build Feedback Circuits in Cells," 26 July 2019 In particular, levels of a cytokine known as IL-6 were nearly a thousand times higher than normal. — Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker, "The Promise and Price of Cellular Therapies," 15 July 2019 June recalls)—was a result of T cells and their target cells secreting potent inflammatory factors called cytokines. — Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker, "The Promise and Price of Cellular Therapies," 15 July 2019 The skin’s response of UVB cause a chain reaction of other responses that begin with the release of chemicals, known as chemokines and cytokines. — Tiffany Dodson, SELF, "9 Soothing Products People Swear By for Sunburn Relief," 25 May 2019 Successful repair of damaged skin, and collagen synthesis, have been shown to require the involvement of growth factors and cytokines. — Jolene Edgar, Allure, "The Truth About Growth Factors in Skin Care and Why They're Controversial," 2 Aug. 2018 Perhaps the cytokine that testosterone induces mast cells to make, interleukin-33, might one day join them. — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, "Testosterone may protect men from autoimmune diseases," 2 Feb. 2018 Now Like a contagion, senescent cells seem to pass on their accelerated aging abilities to healthy cells by releasing a number of factors, including inflammation-producing cytokines that can cause tissues like muscle to deteriorate. — Alice Park, Time, "How Scientists Are Testing Cancer Drugs to Slow Down Aging," 9 July 2018 The researchers injected some of the mice with the cytokines interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor. — Tim Hornyak, Scientific American, "Could Future Nerve Implants Detect and Monitor Illness?," 10 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cytokine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for cytokine
cytokine
noun
cy·to·kine
| \ ˈsīt-ə-ˌkīn
\
\
Medical Definition of cytokine
: any of a class of immunoregulatory proteins (as interleukin, tumor necrosis factor, and interferon) that are secreted by cells especially of the immune system