Lymphocyte chemoattractant factor

Patent Granted Pro-interleukin-16 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IL16 gene.[1][2] This gene was discovered in 1982 at Boston University by Dr. David Center and Dr. William Cruikshank. The protein encoded by this gene is a pleiotropic cytokine that functions as a chemoattractant, a modulator of T cell activation, and an inhibitor of HIV replication. The signaling process of this cytokine is mediated by CD4. The product of this gene undergoes proteolytic processing, which is found to yield two functional proteins. The cytokine function is exclusively attributed to the secreted C-terminal peptide, while the N-terminal product may play a role in cell cycle control.