Over the past several decades it has become clear that intracellular communication is mediated by a group of polypeptides known as cytokines. Much has been learned about the molecular nature and biologic effects of these immunoregulatory molecules. Cytokines are a diverse group of intercellular signalling proteins that regulate not only local and systemic immune and inflammatory responses but are involved in wound healing, haematopoiesis and a variety of other biologic activities. Cytokines are synthesized secreted by cells in response to external stimuli and act in a cascade manner.
Cytokines bind with target cells bearing specific cytokine receptors.
Essential to maintaining homeostasis and the basic integrity of organisms, cytokines may also hold the key to autoimmune and allergic diseases as well as providing a new focus for therapeutic approaches. Our laboratory has been active at identifying the role of cytokines in cutaneous inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. Recently we have utilized transgenic gene-targeted mutant mice to identify crucial molecules involved in these reactions. Our work has involved identifying the interactions between cytokines and their target cells, in particular focusing on how antigen presenting cells and inflammatory cells are directed to the site of injury and the cytokine cascade involved in more general inflammatory and immune response. Kondo, S., McKenzie, R.C., Sauder, D.N. J. Invest.