Cytokines are chemical messengers transmitting information in the immune system. They are peptides, proteins, and glycoproteins performing critical intercellular messaging, carrying information, and contributing to immune responses and cell growth. Cytokines include interferons, interleukins, chemokines, and lymphocytes. They cannot pass the lipid bilayer in the cell cytoplasm and have shown key roles in paracrine, autocrine, and endocrine signaling as immunomodulating elements.
Research has demonstrated the regulatory importance of cytokines in the human body. Scientists have invested much effort and energy in understanding cytokine signaling and its role in normal and disease biology. Studies have shown that Cytokine Quantification has promising applications in diagnosing and treating several disorders, such as autoimmune diseases and cancer. However, scientists require effective cytokine assays to measure their levels in biological samples.
Some popular methods for cytokine quantification include ELISA assays, flow cytometry-based analysis, ELIspot, and MSD-ECL assays. However, similar to robust LC-MS method validation, cytokine assays require adequate validation and development. The current article introduces the importance of cytokine quantification in biomedical and clinical research.
Significance of cytokine quantification in clinical and biomedical research
Cytokine testing and quantification has its challenges. However, less experimental cost and reduced invasiveness make cytokine analysis an appealing frontier in biomedical research. Chronic inflammation has emerged as a promising area of interest for cytokine quantification and assessment. Chronic inflammation contributes to a wide array of ailments and diseases. The National Institute of Health emphasizes understanding chronic inflammation by mentioning the discovery of the involvement of inflammatory processes and the immune system in numerous physical and mental health issues as one of the most crucial medical discoveries of the past 20 years.
Cytokines, including chemokines, interleukins, and interferons, employ biochemical interactions to assort anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory effects. Hence, recent medical research studies have focused heavily on cytokine assessment to identify patterns in specific disorders and diseases.
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Despite these discoveries, cytokine analysis using biomarkers in disease research was not employed commonly until recently. In August 2022, researchers determined the inflammation markers for the cytokine protein to predict and determine COVID-19 severity and the survival rate of patients. The study evaluated four cytokine proteins circulating in the blood and commonly related to infections. They discovered that two cytokines, TNF-alpha and IL-6, identified and predicted patients with the likelihood of developing severe forms of COVID-19 infection. The study recommended that monitoring cytokines is essential while treating COVID-19 patients and segregating individuals who should join clinical studies and receive drugs targeting them.
However, one primary challenge researchers face during cytokine analysis exists in the notion of establishing normal and abnormal cytokine levels. Each individual has unique variables that can alter cytokine activation and release in the body. These variables can range from physiological factors, stress levels, and physical fitness to dietary habits.
As the accuracy and reliability of cytokine assay increases, the understanding and knowledge of cytokine level changes will increase relatively. Besides, an improved understanding of cytokine levels will help detect health conditions early. As cytokine assays with enhanced sensitivity become common, clinicians will have tools and approaches to make better therapeutic decisions through comprehensive cytokine assessment.