A small protein released by cells that affects the behavior of other cells, particularly in immune responses and inflammation.
From Greek kytos 'cell' + kinein 'to move.' Coined in the 1970s as immunologists discovered these cellular messengers that coordinate immune system responses.
Cytokines are the body's cellular text messages - they allow immune cells to communicate danger, coordinate attacks on invaders, and sometimes unfortunately cause harmful inflammatory storms. The COVID-19 pandemic made these molecular messengers household names when cytokine storms became a serious complication.
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