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Ex vivo Expansion of Tumor-reactive T Cells by Means of Bryostatin 1/Ionomycin and the Common Gamma Chain Cytokines Formulation
Published on: January 14, 2011
Interleukin-2 as a therapeutic agent
N S Sule1, R P Nerurkar, S Kamath
1Department of Pharmacology, TN Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai.
Abstract:
Interleukin-2 (IL-2) belongs to a class of soluble, regulatory proteins known as cytokines. It is a 133 amino acid glycoprotein secreted by T(H) lymphocytes and other cells following activation by antigens, mitogens and other cytokines. It stimulates the proliferation and cytotoxicity of T lymphocytes. It also enhances the microbicidal and cytotoxic activities of NK cells, B lymphocytes, macrophages and monocytes. IL-2 can now be produced in unlimited quantities by recombinant DNA technology and used therapeutically to modulate the immune system in a number of diseases. A number of different studies have demonstrated its therapeutic value in HIV +ve and AIDS patients. It has been approved by US-FDA for treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and metastatic melanoma. Routine detection of soluble IL-2 receptor in blood could be useful as a diagnostic marker in some autoimmune diseases. Agents that antagonize IL-2 find application as immunosuppressants. The main adverse effect of IL-2 is capillary leak syndrome caused by increased capillary permeability and extravasation of fluid. In days to come, IL-2 is likely to play an increasingly important role in management of viral infections, malignancies and a number of other diseases conditions.
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