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cy·to·kine | \ ˈsī-tə-ˌkīn 
\
\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 For one thing, a new study indicates that Covid-19 triggers in some people something called a cytokine storm, where one’s own immune system goes berserk.
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oregonlive, "The coronavirus turns deadly when it leads to ‘cytokine storm’; identifying this immune response is key to patient’s survival: report," 13 Mar. 2020 Interleukins, another type of cytokine, are produced by white blood cells, which play a crucial role in the body’s immune responses.
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Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "What Exactly Are Biologics for Psoriasis?," 21 Oct. 2019 Ideally, the cytokine threat would be avoided entirely.
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Sharon Begley, STAT, "Tweaking how CAR-T therapy kills tumors could stop a dangerous side effect, study finds," 17 Jan. 2020 Steroids calm the immune system in general, while a medication called tocilizumab, used to treat autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, blocks cytokines specifically.
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Ilana Yurkiewicz, Smithsonian, "The Possibilities and Risks of Genetically Altering Immune Cells to Fight Cancer," 26 Oct. 2019 Endometriosis lesions of any size can release varying levels of prostaglandins or cytokines (chemicals associated with pain), Dr. Hornstein says.
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Cassie Shortsleeve, SELF, "What Exactly Are the Stages of Endometriosis?," 25 Sep. 2019 For now, all doctors can do if a patient develops a severe cytokine storm is try to counter it, with near-heroic efforts in an intensive care unit to battle the characteristic fever, plunging blood pressure, and trouble breathing.
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Sharon Begley, STAT, "Tweaking how CAR-T therapy kills tumors could stop a dangerous side effect, study finds," 17 Jan. 2020 Another potential strategy is to deplete the macrophage that churn out the culprit cytokines, Huang says—that, too, worked in the mice.
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Jennifer Couzin-frankel, Science | AAAS, "Deciphering a cancer treatment’s dark side," 17 Jan. 2020 The disease causes certain immune signaling molecules, called cytokines, to go into overdrive.
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Ryan Prior, CNN, "This med student was given last rites before finding a treatment that saved his life. His method could help millions," 14 Sep. 2019
See MoreThese 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
nouncy·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
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Time Traveler for cytokine
The first known use of cytokine was in 1974
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