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Cytokines: is there biological meaning?
1Department of Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Current Opinion in Immunology
|June 1, 1991
Summary
Cytokine functions determined in laboratory cell cultures are highly relevant to their actual roles in the immune system. Analyzing simple regulatory networks confirms the physiological importance of in vitro cytokine activities.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cytokines are crucial signaling molecules in the immune system.
- Determining the physiological relevance of in vitro cytokine functions can be challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the relevance of in vitro determined cytokine functions to in vivo physiological roles.
- To analyze simple regulatory networks to understand cytokine importance.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cytokine functions in tissue culture (in vitro).
- Examination of simple regulatory networks within the immune system.
Main Results:
- Activities of cytokines observed in vitro correlate strongly with their physiological functions.
- Simple regulatory network analysis supports the relevance of in vitro findings.
Conclusions:
- In vitro determined cytokine functions are highly relevant to genuine physiological roles.
- The complexity of cytokine actions does not preclude their in vitro relevance.