Interleukin-2: Inception, Impact, and Implications

作者：Kendall A. Smith · 发表于：Science · 年份：1988 · DOI：10.1126/science.3131876 · 被引用次数：2168 · 研究领域：Immune Cell Function and Interaction、T-cell and B-cell Immunology、T-cell and Retrovirus Studies

Interleukin-2 (IL-2), the first of a series of lymphocytotrophic hormones to be recognized and completely characterized, is pivotal for the generation and regulation of the immune response. A T lymphocyte product, IL-2 also stimulates T cells to undergo cell cycle progression via a finite number of interactions with its specific membrane receptors. Because T cell clonal proliferation after antigen challenge is obligatory for immune responsiveness and immune memory, the IL-2-T cell system has opened the way to a molecular understanding of phenomena that are fundamental to biology, immunology, and medicine.