Cytokines Are Signaling Molecules That Include Growth Factors And Interleukins
These molecules are proteins that send signals to cells where repair usually begins. Cytokines are at the forefront of healing; they drive the cells of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue matrix to repair. Cytokines organize the cellular tasks; in other words, cytokines give the repair orders at the cellular level and this causes a cascade of metabolic pathways that reaches from the cellular level to the tissue level. It is the cytokine combination that determines the type of repair to rebuild the connective tissue matrix.
When an injury occurs, the body naturally downloads these messengers to the site of injury; however, there is also a lot of inflammation processes that interfere with some of the repair signaling, so often, natural repair by the body is limited. By using combinations of certain cytokines, specifically growth factors and interleukins, to mediate musculoskeletal repair, we can help “program” the repair process and tailor it to the type of tissue in musculoskeletal conditions and injuries. Recent advances in technology have provided the means to study these pathways precisely and to develop stable cytokines that can be used as a dermal patch or taken orally.
