Cytokines are the chemical mediators that regulate immune cell homeostasis and provide cells with the ability to communicate with one another1,2. They are produced by many cell populations, including lymphocytes and myeloid cells, to elicit a variety of responses through receptor binding. Â
There are many cytokines with multiple, sometimes unrelated, functions depending on the target cell as well as the presence or absence of other cytokines. These functions include controlling cell proliferation and differentiation as well as the regulation of angiogenesis and immune and inflammatory responses3. If cytokine production in the body is dysregulated, this can lead to autoinflammatory and autoimmune disease, and in some cases, even cancer promotion1.