Cytokines and other biologic agents as immunotherapeutics for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are a group of skin-invasive malignancies of clonally derived T lymphocytes. Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome, characterized by the proliferation of CD4+ T cells, are the most common forms of CTCL. Among these latter disorders, the host antitumor response appears to play an important role in disease control. Thus, systemic therapeutic agents are used in an effort to augment the host antitumor response while selectively targeting the malignant cells. Both new and old biologic response-modifying treatment options currently used to treat CTCL are reviewed.