interleukin 2
noun
Immunology.
a lymphokine protein, secreted by T cells in response to antigen and interleukin 1, that stimulates the proliferation of T cells.
Pharmacology.
a form of this protein produced by genetic engineering and used experimentally in immunotherapy. Abbreviation: IL-2
Compare
LAK cell.
Origin of interleukin 2
First recorded in 1980–85; see origin at
interleukin 1
Words nearby interleukin 2
interleaf,
interleave,
interleaving,
interleukin,
interleukin 1,
interleukin 2,
interleukin 3,
interleukin-1,
interleukin-2,
interleukin-3,
interlibrary loan
Medical definitions for interleukin-2
interleukin-2
n.
A lymphokine that is released by helper T cells in response to an antigen and interleukin-1 and stimulates the proliferation of helper T cells.