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Updated: Jul 11, 2025

Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Polyfunctionality and Heterogeneity in Immune Responses
Published on: March 8, 2024
The dichotomic role of single cytokines: Fine-tuning immune responses
Rafael Cardoso Maciel Costa Silva1, Leonardo Holanda Travassos1, Fabianno Ferreira Dutra2
1Laboratório de Receptores e Sinalização intracelular, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Abstract:
Cytokines are known for their pleiotropic effects. They can be classified by their function as pro-inflammatory, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL) 1 and IL-12, or anti-inflammatory, like IL-10, IL-35 and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). Though this type of classification is an important simplification for the understanding of the general cytokine's role, it can be misleading. Here, we discuss recent studies that show a dichotomic role of the so-called pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines, highlighting that their function can be dependent on the microenvironment and their concentrations. Furthermore, we discuss how the back-and-forth interplay between cytokines and immunometabolism can influence the dichotomic role of inflammatory responses as an important target to complement cytokine-based therapies.
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