CYTOKINES AND SEPSIS - WHAT ARE THE THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS

Although data with regard to cytokine action are rapidly emerging at the molecular and cell level, animal and human data are lagging. Deciphering the mechanisms of action and interrelationships of these proteins will take some time given their complexity. Such work will take animal models to task with respect to their relevance to human disease. Human investigations may be even more difficult due to the number and complexity of the cytokines. On the other band, greatly speeding the process is the ready availability of amino acid sequencing, cloning techniques for production of chemically pure cytokines, and polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to the cytokines and their receptors. Still, a conservative estimate would predict that years will be required to take research from the bench to the bedside. In the final analysis, the potential benefits of cytokine research are immense, not only in sepsis but in the variety of other diseases. © 1991.