Cytokines are critical mediators of inflammatory responses and resolution, being secreted by both immune and nonimmune cells, like leukocytes and fibroblasts, respectively. These inflammatory mediators exert diverse effects in an autocrine, paracrine and endocrine manner in their target cells that express their respective receptors. Cytokines contribute to a myriad of outcomes, leading to cell death or crucial phenotypic changes in the biological responses to insulting stimuli. The dichotomic role of cytokines in different contexts, including in the presence of other inflammatory mediators, plays a pivotal role during infectious and non-infectious diseases, governing both disease resistance and disease tolerance. Here, we welcome studies that discuss these pleiotropic effects and specific regulators in the biology of distinct cytokines, especially in different contexts, like in aging and obesity or other noninfectious and infectious acute and chronic diseases.

Understanding the mechanisms involved in the protective or detrimental role of distinct cytokines in specific diseases can uncover or underscore new molecular targets and improve therapies through adjuvancy or underscoring more specific targets. For example, the role of cytokines, like type I interferons, as a treatment strategy against viral diseases meets their antagonistic effects as a treatment strategy against autoimmune diseases, like multiple sclerosis. In this context, treatments based on antagonistic antibodies, inhibitors or cytokines administration can be expanded to different diseases in clinical trials or animal models. Therefore, this editorial also welcomes studies or literature reviews that explore new models or mechanistic insights about the role of cytokines in specific diseases/circumstances to provide critical and innovative treatment strategies based on cytokines targets or their use as biological markers.

We welcome the submission of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:
• Cytokine signaling
• Immunotherapies based on or influenced by cytokines
• Cytokines as biomarkers
• The effects of cytokines in cellular biology
• The physiological effects of cytokines
• Molecular partners and targets of cytokines biology involved in distinct diseases

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Cytokines in inflammatory, infectious and noninfectious diseases