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interleukin Definition

inter·leu·kin (in′tər lo̵̅o̅′kin)

noun

  1. any of a closely related family of polypeptides, derived from many cell types, that stimulate several components of the inflammatory response, including fever; lymphocyte activating factor
  2. a glycoprotein lymphocyte product that stimulates the growth of T cells and is used experimentally in cancer therapy; T cell growth factor

interleukin Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • produce: The scientists took neural stem cells from mouse fetuses and genetically engineered them to produce interleukin 12.

Adjective modifier

  • human: A gene homologous to human interleukin 10 in cytomegalovirus was found to be powerfully immunosuppressive [ 4 ] .

Modifies a noun

  • gene: At the same time, GM crops engineered with interleukin genes are being grown in open field trials [ 8 ] .
  • 12b: Variants of a gene encoding the protein interleukin 12B may associated with severity of disease in children who have asthma.

Noun used with modifier

  • protein: Variants of a gene encoding the protein interleukin 12B may associated with severity of disease in children who have asthma.