Arthritis Treatment Cytokines and How They Work By Carol Eustice facebook Carol Eustice is a writer covering arthritis and chronic illness, who herself has been diagnosed with both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Learn about our editorial process Carol Eustice Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Grant Hughes, MD on August 05, 2016 linkedin Grant Hughes, MD, is board-certified in rheumatology and is the head of rheumatology at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center. Learn about our Medical Review Board Grant Hughes, MD Updated on October 12, 2019 Print More in Arthritis Treatment Biologics Methotrexate Pain Relief Causes & Risk Factors Living With Support & Coping Joint Pain Rheumatoid Arthritis Gout Ankylosing Spondylitis Diagnosis Symptoms Osteoarthritis More Arthritis Types & Related Conditions Psoriatic Arthritis View All In This Article Table of Contents Expand Types of Cytokines How They Work Overproduction Biologic Cytokine Inhibitors View All Back To Top Cytokines are proteins produced by cells that serve as molecular messengers between cells. In arthritis, cytokines regulate various inflammatory responses. As part of the immune system, cytokines regulate the body's response to disease and infection, as well as mediate normal cellular processes in your body. Terry Vine / Getty Images Types of Cytokines Cytokines are diverse, meaning they are not all alike. Cytokines serve various functions in the body. They: Stimulate the production of blood cellsAid in the development, maintenance, and repair of tissuesRegulate the immune systemDrive inflammation through interferons, interleukins, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) While "cytokines" is an umbrella term that includes all kinds, more specific names are given to cytokines based on either the type of cell that makes them or the action they have in the body:Lymphokines, which are made by lymphocytesMonokines, which are made by monocytesChemokines, which are associated with chemotactic actionsInterleukins, which are made by one leukocyte but act on other leukocytes How They Work The immune system is complex—different types of immune cells and proteins do different jobs. Cytokines are among those proteins. To understand inflammation, you must understand the role cytokines play. Cells release cytokines into your blood circulation or directly into tissues. The cytokines locate the immune cells they're designed to target and binding to the cell's receptors. This interaction triggers or stimulates specific responses by the target cells. Overproduction Overproduction or inappropriate production of certain cytokines by the body can result in disease. For example, interleukin-1 (IL-1) and (TNFα) are produced in excess in rheumatoid arthritis, where they're involved in inflammation and tissue destruction. What Is Tumor Necrosis Factor? Biologic Cytokine Inhibitors Some biologic drugs inhibit IL-1 or TNFα. Kineret (anakinra) works by inhibiting the binding of IL-1 to its receptor. Actemra (tocilizumab) and Kevzara (sarilumab) bind IL-6. TNFα inhibitors (also called TNF blockers) bind to TNF and prevent it from attaching to cell surface receptors. TNFα inhibitors on the market are: Enbrel (etanercept)Remicade (infliximab)Humira (adalimumab)Simponi (golimumab)Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) Cytokine Basics Proinflammatory cytokines play a role in the development of inflammatory and neuropathic pain.Anti-inflammatory cytokines are actually inflammatory cytokine antagonists.Evidence suggests that chemokines are involved in initiating pain and in the persistence of pain. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Dealing with chronic inflammation? An anti-inflammatory diet can help. Our free recipe guide shows you the best foods to fight inflammation. Get yours today! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Ferreira VL, Borba HH, Bonetti ADF, Leonart LP, Pontarolo R. Cytokines and Interferons: Types and Functions. Autoantibodies and Cytokines. 2019. doi:10.5772/intechopen.74550 Tisoncik JR, Korth MJ, Simmons CP, Farrar J, Martin TR, Katze MG. Into the eye of the cytokine storm. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2012;76(1):16–32. doi:10.1128/MMBR.05015-11 Zhang JM, An J. Cytokines, inflammation, and pain. Int Anesthesiol Clin. 2007;45(2):27–37. doi:10.1097/AIA.0b013e318034194e Additional Reading Cytokines. BioBasics. McInnes I. and Schett G. Cytokines in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Nature Immunology. Regeneron and Sanofi Present Results from Pivotal Phase 3 Study of Sarilumab at American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting. Regeneron. Zhang, J-M et al. Cytokines, Inflammation and Pain. International Anesthesiology Clinics. Growth Factors and Cytokines. Primer on the Rheumatic Diseases. Edition 12. Published by the Arthritis Foundation.