Cytokines biochemistry

We thank the NIH (NIBIB and NIDDK) for grant support over the years and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for Grant 22-2006-1121. We thank Dr. Guanqun Allen Li for scientific collaboration regarding cytokine biochemistry and histology. 

Aasland, D., Schuster, B., Grotzinger, J., Rosejohn, S., and Kallen, K. J. (2003). Analysis of the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor functional domains by chimeric receptors and cytokines. Biochemistry 42, 5244-5252. 

Several of these IFNs of mouse and human lymphocytes and fibroblasts are available commercially and have been best prepared in quantity by recombinant DNA procedures because they are produced in very small amounts by the cells. The commercial materials do not generally require further purification for their intended purposes. [Pestkas, Interferons and Interferon standards and general abbreviations. Methods Enzymol, Wiley Sons, 119 1986, ISBN 012182019X Lengyel, Biochemistry of interferons and their actions, Ann Bev Biochem 51 251-282 7982 De Maeyer and De Maeyer-Guignard, Interferons in The Cytokine Handbook, 3rd Edn, Thomson et al. Eds, pp. 491-516 7998 Academic Press, San Diego, ISBN 0126896623.]... 

Oswald, I.P., Wynn, T.A., Sher, A. and James, S.L. (1994) NO as an effector molecule of parasite killing modulation of its synthesis by cytokines. Comparative Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Endocrinology 108,11-18. 

The biochemistry of cytokine and chemokine involvement in asthma is complex (216,217). Future studies will distinguish the relative importance of these systems to asthma. The involvement of the cytokine pathway in asthma, however, has been confirmed by the linkage of a locus for an enzyme in this pathway, dipeptidyl peptidase (DPPIO), located on chromosome 2ql4-32. 

One other class of biochemical proteins that offers a similar advantage in clinical biochemistry is antibodies, which are highly specific for interaction with other proteins (i.e. with antigens) and bind with a high affinity. The combination of antibodies with radioisotopes produces very sensitive and very specific assays. This system has been used particularly for measuring the concentrations of hormones (see below) peptides and cytokines. 

Miller MD, Krangel MS. Biology and biochemistry of the chemokines a family of chemotactic and inflammatory cytokines. Critical Reviews in Immunology 1992,12,17-46. 

The biochemistry of cytokine and chemokine involvement in asthma is complex, however. While the cytokine pathway is likely to be involved in asthma, the role of specific chemokine receptor variants in disease is still a subject of active investigation. In fact, GWAS studies suggest a modest role for two chemokine genes other than CCR5-CCL18 and CXCL12 [316],... 

The most active chemotherapeutic agents fall into a small number of broad categories depending on their mode of action alkylating/cross-linking agents that interact with DNA antibiotics that can kill mammalian cells instead of bacteria antimetabolites/inhibitors that interfere with normal biochemistry hormones that interact with receptors on tumor cells and cytokines that can alter the balance of the intercellular communication system. Some commonly used agents, and their classifications, are fisted in Table 1. 

The dream of Stewart Adams, to find not only a palliative treatment but also a cure for rheumatoid diseases, did unfortunately not come true. [180] Pro-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-1 and -6, or the tumour-necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) play key roles in diseases of the rheumatoid spectrum, and impact a multitude of signalling cascades within the immune system. Accumulating insight into the pathophysiology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology of these illnesses has clearly improved the opportunities for their treatment at the... 

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