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Cytokines and Cytokine Signaling Pathways – Immune Regulation, Inflammation and Biomarker Analysis

What are cytokines and cytokine signaling pathways?

Cytokines and cytokine signaling pathways  are central regulators of immune communication, inflammation, hematopoiesis, and tissue repair. Cytokines are small, secreted signaling proteins that act as molecular messengers between immune cells and surrounding tissues, orchestrating complex cellular communication networks.

Cytokines bind to specific receptors on target cells and activate intracellular signaling cascades that control gene expression, cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis.

Dysregulated cytokine signaling is a hallmark of autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, cancer progression, and severe infectious responses such as cytokine storm syndromes.

AnyGenes® cytokine signaling pathways for precise cytokines expression analysis in immune response and disease research.

Cytokine signaling pathway activity can be efficiently assessed by measuring gene expression of receptors, downstream regulators, and pathway-specific biomarker signatures.

Cytokines, chemokines and receptors, their effector T cells and inflammatory mechanisms.
Cytokines, chemokines and receptors, their effector T cells
and inflammatory mechanisms -graphic from Kothur K et al. 2016).

Key takeaways - cytokine signaling pathways

  • Central regulators of immune communication
  • Control inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses
  • Activate JAK-STAT, NF-κB, MAPK and PI3K-AKT pathways
  • Critical in cancer, autoimmunity, infection and chronic disease
  • Highly relevant for biomarker discovery and immune profiling

Major classes of cytokines

Pro-inflammatory cytokines

Promote immune activation and inflammation during infection or tissue damage.
Examples: IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α.

Anti-inflammatory cytokines

Limit excessive immune responses and maintain homeostasis.
Examples: IL-10, TGF-β.

Interleukins (ILs)

Mediate communication between leukocytes and regulate immune differentiation.

Chemokines

Control immune cell trafficking and migration to inflammatory sites.

Interferons (IFNs)

Induce antiviral states and modulate innate and adaptive immunity.

Cytokine signaling pathways

Cytokines activate several core signaling cascades:

  • JAK-STAT Pathway:Transduces signals from cytokine receptors to the nucleus to regulate immune gene expression.
  • MAPK Pathway:Controls proliferation, differentiation, stress response and apoptosis.
  • NF-κB Pathway:Central mediator of inflammatory gene transcription.
  • PI3K-Akt Pathway:Regulates cell survival, metabolism and immune cell activation.

Crosstalk between these pathways creates complex regulatory networks that fine-tune immune responses.

Cytokine signaling pathways dysregulation and disease

Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases

Persistent overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines drives conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and lupus.

Cytokine storm syndromes

Excessive cytokine release during severe infections (e.g., sepsis or viral infections) can lead to systemic inflammation and organ failure.

Cancer

Cytokines shape the tumor microenvironment, influence immune evasion, and regulate tumor growth and metastasis.

Chronic metabolic and neuroinflammatory disorders

Altered cytokine signaling contributes to obesity, insulin resistance, neurodegeneration and cardiovascular disease.

Therapeutic and clinical relevance

Cytokines are both therapeutic targets and therapeutic agents:

  • TNF inhibitors in autoimmune diseases
  • IL-6 blockade in inflammatory conditions
  • Interferon therapies in viral infections and cancer
  • Cytokine profiling for patient stratification

Accurate cytokine biomarker profiling is essential for monitoring disease progression and predicting therapeutic response.

Why study cytokine signaling pathways with AnyGenes®?

At AnyGenes®, we provide high-performance qPCR arrays and customizable SignArrays® dedicated to cytokine pathway analysis.

Our solutions enable researchers to:

  • Quantify cytokine and receptor gene expression
  • Analyze pro- and anti-inflammatory signatures
  • Investigate JAK-STAT and NF-κB activation
  • Generate robust, publication-ready immune profiling data

Cytokine biomarker analysis with AnyGenes®

What can be analyzed?

  • Interleukins and cytokine ligands
  • Cytokine receptors
  • JAK-STAT pathway regulators
  • NF-κB and inflammatory mediators
  • Tumor microenvironment cytokine signatures
Explore the role of cytokines in diseases with AnyGenes® qPCR arrays. Understand their impact on immune response, inflammation, and disease progression.
Interactions between tumor cells and infiltrating immune cells in the tumor microenvironment
(graphic from Setrerrahmane S, Xu H. 2017).

Customize your own signaling pathways (SignArrays®) with the factors of your choice!
Simply download and complete our Personalized SignArrays® information file and send it at [email protected] to initiate your project.

Frequently asked questions

Cytokine signaling pathways are molecular communication networks activated when cytokines bind to their receptors. These pathways regulate immune responses, inflammation, cell survival, and differentiation through cascades such as JAK-STAT, NF-κB, MAPK, and PI3K-AKT.

Cytokines control both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses. Pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α promote immune activation, while anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 help resolve inflammation and maintain tissue homeostasis.

Dysregulated cytokine signaling contributes to autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, cancer progression, cytokine storm syndromes, and metabolic disorders. Both excessive and insufficient cytokine activity can disrupt immune balance.

A cytokine storm is an excessive and uncontrolled release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that can lead to systemic inflammation, organ damage, and life-threatening complications, often observed in severe infections or immune dysregulation.

Cytokine signaling activity can be analyzed by measuring gene expression of cytokines, receptors, and downstream pathway regulators using targeted gene expression tools such as qPCR pathway arrays.

  1. R.A.Prell, J.M.Tarrant. Cytokines: Role in Homeostasis and Disease States. (2018) 428-466.
  2. Lierova A et al. Cytokines and radiation-induced pulmonary injuries. J Radiat Res. (2018) 31.
  3. Monastero RN et Pentyala S. Cytokines as Biomarkers and Their Respective Clinical Cutoff Levels. Int J Inflam. (2017).
  4. Méndez-García LA et al. Breast Cancer Metastasis: Are Cytokines Important Players During Its Development and Progression? J Interferon Cytokine Res. (2018) 13.
  5. Setrerrahmane S, Xu H. Tumor-related interleukins: old validated targets for new anti-cancer drug development. Mol Cancer. (2017) 19;16(1):153.
  6. Kothur K et al. CSF cytokines/chemokines as biomarkers in neuroinflammatory CNS disorders: A systematic review. Cytokine. (2016);77:227-37.

Cytokine signaling pathways biomarker list

You can check the biomarker list included in this pathway, see below:

Species : Homo sapiens (human)

Human Cytokine signaling pathways

Signaling PathwaysProduct refInformations

Cytokines

CT1H1

List infos


Species : Mus musculus (mouse)

Mouse Cytokine signaling pathways

Signaling PathwaysProduct refInformations

Cytokines

CT1M1

List infos


Species : Rattus norvegicus (rat)

Rat Cytokines

Signaling PathwaysProduct refInformations

Cytokines

*******

List In progress...


Species : Sus Scrofa (Pig)

Pig Adipogenesis

Signaling PathwaysProduct refInformations

Cytokines

*******

List In progress...


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