Autocrine signaling is a form of signalling in which a cell secretes a chemical messenger (called the autocrine agent) that signals the same cell. Autocrine signalling is a form of signalling in which the target cell is the secretory cell itself. ...

An example of an autocrine agent is the cytokine interleukin-1 in monocytes. When this is produced in response to external stimuli, it can bind to cell-surface receptors on the same cell that produced it. Cytokines are small protein molecules that are the core of communication between immune system cells, and even between these cells and cells belonging to other tissue types. ... Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is secreted by the macrophages, monocytes and dendritic cells. ... MONOCYTES: Plural of monocyte. ... In biochemistry, a receptor is a protein on the cell membrane or within the cytoplasm or cell nucleus that binds to a specific factor (a ligand), such as a neurotransmitter, hormone, or other substance, and initiates the cellular response to the ligand. ...

See also

• Paracrine signalling
• Paracrine agent