interleukin 2

noun

1. Immunology. a lymphokine protein, secreted by T cells in response to antigen and interleukin 1, that stimulates the proliferation of T cells.
2. Pharmacology. a form of this protein produced by genetic engineering and used experimentally in immunotherapy. : IL-2

Word History and Origins

Origin of interleukin 2¹

First recorded in 1980–85; interleukin 1