interleukin-2

noun

in·​ter·​leu·​kin-2 ˌin-tər-ˈlü-kən-ˈtü How to pronounce interleukin-2 (audio)
: an interleukin produced by antigen-stimulated helper T cells in the presence of interleukin-1 that induces proliferation of immune cells (such as T cells and B cells) and is used experimentally especially in treating certain cancers
—abbreviation IL-2

Examples of interleukin-2 in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Synthorx has developed a partly artificial version of interleukin-2, a natural compound with anti-cancer activity. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2019 Researchers studying the immune system discovered the molecules interferon and interleukin-2; each was initially hailed as a promising treatment based on their dramatic effects in shrinking tumors in rodents. — Jerome Groopman, The New York Review of Books, 21 Mar. 2019 It’s injected under the skin and targets the receptor on the surface of certain immune cells that binds to the messenger protein interleukin-2 (IL-2), a crucial regulator of the immune system. — New Atlas, 24 June 2025 In Paris, David Klatzmann, an immunologist at Sorbonne University, is experimenting with treating autoimmune disorders with low levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), an immune-signaling molecule first used to treat cancer in the mid-1980s. — Karen Weintraub, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of interleukin-2 was in 1979

Browse Nearby Words

interleukin-1
interleukin-2
interleukin-6
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Interleukin-2.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interleukin-2. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

interleukin-2

noun
-ˈtü How to pronounce interleukin-2 (audio)
: an interleukin produced by antigen-stimulated helper T cells in the presence of interleukin-1 that induces proliferation of immune cells (as T cells and B cells) and has been used experimentally especially in treating certain cancers
—abbreviation IL-2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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