Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Analysis of Human T Cell Activity in an Allogeneic Co-Culture Setting of Pre-Treated Tumor Cells
09:04

Analysis of Human T Cell Activity in an Allogeneic Co-Culture Setting of Pre-Treated Tumor Cells

Published on: March 7, 2025

Immunocytokines: a review of molecules in clinical development for cancer therapy

Thomas List1, Dario Neri

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Zurich, Switzerland.

Clinical Pharmacology : Advances and Applications
|August 31, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Immunocytokines, antibody-cytokine fusion proteins, offer a promising approach to enhance cancer immunotherapy by targeting cytokines to tumors. This review details preclinical and clinical data for immunocytokines in cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Therapeutic enhancement of immune response against tumors is a long-standing goal.
  • Cytokines have shown therapeutic potential in cancer but face challenges with side effects and pharmacokinetics.
  • Recombinant antibody-cytokine fusion proteins (immunocytokines) aim to improve cytokine delivery and efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive overview of immunocytokines in clinical development.
  • To summarize preclinical data and clinical results of immunocytokines.
  • To assess the therapeutic potential and challenges of immunocytokines.

Main Methods:

  • Review of preclinical studies on immunocytokines.
  • Analysis of clinical trial data for immunocytokines.
  • Evaluation of antibody-cytokine fusion protein strategies.

Main Results:

  • Immunocytokines demonstrate targeted delivery of cytokines to tumor sites.
  • Preclinical and clinical data for various immunocytokines are presented.
  • Improved therapeutic index is observed with immunocytokine approaches.

Conclusions:

  • Immunocytokines represent a promising strategy to overcome limitations of traditional cytokine therapy in cancer.
  • Targeted delivery enhances the therapeutic index of cytokines, potentially improving cancer treatment outcomes.
  • Further clinical development of immunocytokines is warranted based on available data.
Keywords:
antibodiescytokinespreclinical

More Related Videos

Isolation and Expansion of Cytotoxic Cytokine-induced Killer T Cells for Cancer Treatment11:11

Isolation and Expansion of Cytotoxic Cytokine-induced Killer T Cells for Cancer Treatment

Published on: January 24, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Cancer Therapies02:49

Cancer Therapies

Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Cancer Therapies02:49

Cancer Therapies

Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Cancer Vaccines01:30

Cancer Vaccines

Cancer treatment vaccines are a rapidly evolving field that offers a promising approach to immunotherapy. Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent diseases, cancer treatment vaccines are designed to treat existing cancers by stimulating the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
Cancer vaccines come in two categories: preventive (prophylactic) and treatment (active). Preventive vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protect against viruses that cause certain...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...