Interleukin-2 in cancer therapy: recent advances

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Abstract
Recombinant production of human cytokines and their availability for therapeutic use have enriched the armentarium of cancer treatment with a powerful new complementation. Immunotherapy via the clinical application of mediators of the haemopoietic and immune system is aimed at the deliberate modulation of human immune functions for therapeutic benefit. Cytokines have shown the capability to mediate tumour regression in a broad spectrum of human tumours [1,2]. Being the best explored and most frequently applied of these cytokines, interleukin-2 (IL-2) is also felt to be among the most potent one presently in clinical practice. As of today, mainly advanced renal cell carcinoma and metastatic malignant melanoma patients benefit from IL-2 based therapy [3–5], Extensive preclinical and clinical studies suggest a non-linear dose-response correlation for IL-2; this allows for optimal biologic and therapeutic effects of this cytokine at dosages far below the maximum tolerated dose. Therapeutic response to IL-2 has been significantly enhanced due to additive or potentially synergistic effects when administering IL-2 in combination with other cytokines, primarily Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and with cytotoxic agents. However, further work is required to define the role of IL-2 in the treatment of cancer patients.

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