interleukin
noun
in·ter·leu·kin
| \ ˌin-tər-ˈlü-kən
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Definition of interleukin
: any of various cytokines of low molecular weight that are produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and monocytes and that function especially in regulation of the immune system and especially cell-mediated immunity
Examples of interleukin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Their movements are marshaled by signaling chemicals, such as the interleukins, which tell cells where and when to fight and when to stand down. — Claudia Wallis, Scientific American, "The Messy Facts about Diet and Inflammation," 1 Jan. 2018 And so early efforts centered on making sure the gas tank was filled—priming the immune system with cytokines (such as the interleukins) or with immune-signaling proteins like interferon to rev up the tumor-fighting response. — Clifton Leaf, Fortune, "The Secret to Cancer Treatment May Be In Our Guts," 3 Nov. 2017 Convinced his patient would not survive another day, a frantic Grupp got rushed lab results that suggested a surge of interleukin 6 was causing her immune system to relentlessly hammer her body. — Laurie Mcginley, Alaska Dispatch News, "First gene therapy – ‘a true living drug’ – on the cusp of FDA approval," 13 July 2017 Convinced his patient would not survive another day, a frantic Grupp got rushed lab results that suggested a surge of interleukin 6 was causing her immune system to relentlessly hammer her body. — Laurie Mcginley, Alaska Dispatch News, "First gene therapy – ‘a true living drug’ – on the cusp of FDA approval," 13 July 2017 Convinced his patient would not survive another day, a frantic Grupp got rushed lab results that suggested a surge of interleukin 6 was causing her immune system to relentlessly hammer her body. — Laurie Mcginley, Alaska Dispatch News, "First gene therapy – ‘a true living drug’ – on the cusp of FDA approval," 13 July 2017 Convinced his patient would not survive another day, a frantic Grupp got rushed lab results that suggested a surge of interleukin 6 was causing her immune system to relentlessly hammer her body. — Laurie Mcginley, Alaska Dispatch News, "First gene therapy – ‘a true living drug’ – on the cusp of FDA approval," 13 July 2017 Convinced his patient would not survive another day, a frantic Grupp got rushed lab results that suggested a surge of interleukin 6 was causing her immune system to relentlessly hammer her body. — Laurie Mcginley, Washington Post, "First gene therapy — ‘a true living drug’ — on the cusp of FDA approval," 11 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'interleukin.' 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 interleukin
interleukin
noun
in·ter·leu·kin
| \ ˌin-tər-ˈlü-kən
\
\
Medical Definition of interleukin
: any of various compounds of low molecular weight that are produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and monocytes and that function especially in regulation of the immune system and especially cell-mediated immunity