Interleukin 2: prototype for a new generation of immunoactive pharmaceuticals

Molecular biological techniques have revealed the interleukin-2 receptor to be a dimer composed of one alpha-subunit and one beta-subunit which interact noncovalently in a cooperative manner. Site-directed mutagenesis, in conjunction with structural analysis, is beginning to clarify the relationship between structural components of the receptor and their function, and Thomas Ciardelli and Kendall Smith explain why this is bringing drug developers closer to the design of IL-2 agonists and antagonists.