Cytokine Storm Testing

Sometimes, a drug candidate can trigger a potentially fatal cascade reaction between cytokines and immune cells, termed a cytokine storm (also known as a cytokine cascade or hypercytokinemia). In this uncontrolled reaction, many more immune cells than are needed are activated, flooding the organism with inflammatory mediating molecules, which can cause severe organ damage, even death. Cytokine storms can also be triggered by a number of different diseases.