From bench to bedside: the past, present and future of IL-21 immunotherapy

As immunotherapy gains momentum as a promising approach for treating several types of cancer, IL-21 has emerged as the latest discovery within the γ chain cytokine family, known for its decisive effects on innate and adaptive immunity and immunopathology. Through the modulation of immune cells, IL-21 has demonstrated significant anti-tumor effects in preclinical studies. The potential of IL-21 in cancer treatment has been explored in phase I and II clinical trials, where it has been utilized both as monotherapy and in combination with other drug agents. Further investigation, alongside larger studies, is necessary before final evaluation and application of IL-21 as immunotherapy. This review aims to summarize these pre-clinical and clinical studies and to discuss the possible future directions of IL-21 immunotherapy development. Such a study may be helpful to accelerate the process of clinical application for IL21 immunotherapy.