The organism is a complete and complex system that works through a stimulus-response mechanism. It is in this mechanism where cytokines provide information to a receptor to trigger the response. But do you know what cytokines are? You will be surprised to know what their role in the immune system is and why they are important. Precisely all this is what we are going to reel next.
What are cytokines?
Cytokines , or also called cytokines, are a type of proteins that have low molecular weight that act through complex interactions between all the different types of cells that make up the body. They are linked to being part of the immune system (they are essential molecules in the innate immune system).
In short, these are molecules that travel with the information that one cell needs to transmit to another through a signal or message. Communication between sender and receiver is the biological response that occurs.
Characteristics of cytokines as transmitters
These molecules are produced by macrophages, and their basic function in orgamism is to recognize and attack generic pathogens with the help of other cells that share the same characteristics and to protect us.
An adequate immune system implies that the body’s cells recognize pathogens from other elements and defend their bearer.
More specifically in the case of cytokines, they start from helper T cells, in such a way that they act specifically on these “intruders”.
Since their function is defense, their existence (and production) is linked to the event of the pathogen’s attack , and they only survive for the time it takes to combat it.
These defender molecules have the quality of triggering multiple effects in the cells in which they act (pleiotropy), and different types of cytokines can achieve this effect.
In addition, by their nature, they are synergistic , that is, the effect of one is enhanced by the effect of another, although they can also block each other. In fact, they do not always react the same to the same pathogen.
Types of cytokines
There is a wide variety of cytokines , as much variety as the types of cells that make up the organs, which in their union and concert, generate an organism.
They are classified as pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory . However, the best known are interleukin cytokines , produced mostly by macrophages and lymphocytes, but also by muscle, adipose and endothelial cells.
Its mission is to regulate and control inflammation through various mechanisms. Other important cytokines are the so-called Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha , abbreviated TNF-ª, and the interferons (interferon gamma or type 2) that have an action on Humoral Immunity and intervene in the growth of T cells.
Based on their activity in the body, they can be classified as pro-inflammatory cytokines , which act against inflammation by giving an innate immune response; cytokines that favor the development of cellular immunity; those that produce the various classes of immunoglobulins or humoral immunity , and the cytokines that perform extraimmune and homeostatic functions.
Each of them in turn generates other groups and subgroups, thus creating an intercellular network of sequences that regulate the functions of cells.
Function and function of cytokines in the immune system
Its operation generates and regenerates the body itself, depending on the cell that produces it and also the type of tissue to which the cell is part. Of course, always needing a nearby receptor to carry the stimulus so that the response can be generated.
Thus they are called lymphokines if they are generated by lymphocytes; monocytes monokines (macrophage precursors), adipokines when they originate in adipose cells or adipocytes ; myokines (muscle cells or myocytes) and interleukins, which are found in hematopoietic cells.
Although cytokines are transient, some cytokines, such as those found in the blood, can act at a distance . Within these groups there are other subgroups that cause cells to generate and / or regenerate correctly to form the different tissues.
Functions they perform to safeguard the body
To understand where cytokines act , we must first clarify the concept of receptor. This is nothing but what actually activates the molecule’s need for cellular response to this uninvited agent.
There is a very wide variety of receptors, which are the messengers that carry and / or execute the stimuli produced and generated by cytokines.
Immunoglobulins
Immunoglobulins , which specifically attack pathogens, are receptors known as antibodies. Yes, those who defend us from serious infections.
Class I and II receptors
The class I and class II cytokine receptors correspond to hematopoietins, which are blood cells, the former, and the proteins that disrupt the response to possible pathogens such as viruses or bacteria, the latter.
TNF receptors
For their part, receptors with tumor necrosis factor or TNF receptors intervene in inflammatory processes and cell death.
According to the latest studies, this type of cytokine also helps increase anticancer activity. And it is that it carries out the sending of signals that can help abnormal cells die and normal cells live longer.
Chemokine receptors
Chemokine receptors are the molecules in charge of repairing tissues by attracting and directing cells of the immune system.
In each group of the above, there are other subgroups of many receptors each involved, and together in specific molecular mechanisms.
Interleukins, interferons, and cancer
Interleukins are a group of cytokines that act as chemical signal transmitters between white blood cells. His response causes cells to divide more quickly. This quality has made them used to treat advanced kidney cancer and metastatic melanoma . In fact, it has been proven that they are active in the treatment itself or as a complement to chemotherapy sessions.
In the case of interferons , only IFN-alpha is used to treat cancer since, while it enhances immune cells, it can also have this effect on cancer cells themselves. Or what is the same, they can be an ally or an enemy.
Thanks to the stimulus-response that these cellular proteins unleash, among others as we have said in the previous paragraphs, the important functions of the immune system are produced and they protect us from pathogens, internal and external.
