Cytokines: an overview. |
| |
Authors: | P P Trotta |
| |
Affiliation: | Schering-Plough Research, Bloomfield, NJ 07003. |
| |
Abstract: | Cytokines are a broad, heterogeneous group of proteins and polypeptides that regulate intercellular communication. Examples of cytokines include interleukins, interferons, colony-stimulating factors, and a variety of growth factors. The preparation of large quantities of highly purified recombinant cytokines has provided a basis for their biological and physicochemical characterization. The pleiotropic biological effects of these factors are expressed through binding to specific, high-affinity cell-surface receptors. Although they are different in amino acid sequence, cytokines have a number of biological and physicochemical properties in common. |
| |
Keywords: | Interleukin interferon growth factor receptor |
|
|