| |
lymphokine
(lim´fo-kīn)
any of various soluble protein mediators released by sensitized lymphocytes on contact with antigen, and believed to play
a role in macrophage activation, lymphocyte transformation, and cell-mediated immunity. It regulates immune responses through differentiation, amplification, and inhibition of cell functions. Lymphokines may also have a cytotoxic effector
function, and they are used as biologic response modifiers in the treatment of cancer.

Copyright 2007. An Elsevier publication. All rights reserved.
Click here for important legal information about Dorland's Medical Dictionary.
|