Cytokine

**Semantic type:** Amino Acid, Peptide, or Protein|Immunologic Factor

**Definition:** A class of soluble glycoproteins which act nonenzymatically through specific receptors to regulate immune responses. Cytokines are derived from both immune and non-immune cells and are intercellular mediators that differ from hormones in that they are produced by a number of tissue or cell types rather than by specialized glands.

**Synonyms:** - Cytokines - Cytokines - cytokine