[Status of recombinant cytokines in treatment of leukemic diseases]

Recently recombinant cytokines have been used to treat hematological malignancies. The potential benefit of a cytokine therapy may be due to effects on the malignant clone and/or on the residual normal hematopoiesis. Treatment with recombinant interferon-alfa (rIFN-a) in patients with hairy cell leukemia is an established therapeutic option. The administration of recombinant cytokines seems to be of potential benefit in some other malignant conditions (rIFN-a in CML, recombinant colony stimulating factors [rCSFs] in MDS or in combination with chemotherapy in AML and advanced MDS). The broad spectrum of activity of cytokines, the detection of novel biomolecules, and the expanding insight into disturbed regulatory mechanisms within a malignant clone suggest that the number of clinical applications for recombinant cytokines will further grow.