Cytokines: the fourth homeostatic system.
The cytokines represent a network of small polypeptides produced by a variety of immune, blood and somatic cells. They can be considered the fourth homeostatic system serving the integrity of the organism. The cytokines cooperate with, substitute or, regulate the activity of cells and products of hormonal, neural and immune systems and function as physiological and/or emergency regulators. The attempts to exploit them in the therapy of viral and/or neoplastic diseases brought, so far, only partial success. However, they remain the goal of a new, more physiological therapy.
Borecký
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Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava.
D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans
D016207:Cytokines