Cytokine receptor

Cytokine receptors are receptors that bind to cytokines. The binding of cytokines to receptors allows the cell that houses the receptor to be able to receive the signals of another cell. These receptors can be found on the surface of cells that allows them to communicate with other cells that transmit their signals This interaction between cells can involve genetic output, cell cycle changes and other signal transduction responses. Cytokine Receptors play a crucial role in Immunological response.

In recent years, the cytokine receptors have come to demand the attention of more investigators than cytokines themselves, partly because of their notable characteristics, and partly because a deficiency of cytokine receptors has now been directly linked to certain debilitating immunodeficiency states. In this regard, and also because the redundancy and pleiotropy of cytokines are a consequence of their homologous receptors, many authorities are now of the opinion that a classification of cytokine receptors would be more clinically and experimentally useful.