[Clinical application of new cytokines]

Recent progress of molecular biology and gene technology has developed a novel approach of clinical treatment. Several recombinant cytokines are already applied to clinical field. In this symposium, I introduced clinical application of some cytokines including GM-CSF, interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-3. The clinical benefits of IL-1 are; 1) IL-1 has an anti-tumor effect especially on cutaneous lymphoma and brain tumors, and 2) IL-1 has a function as hematopoietic growth factor for very immature hematopoietic stem cells. In the clinical Phase I/II study, IL-1 has been shown to have anti-tumor effect on cutaneous T-lymphoma via immune mechanisms. The side effects of IL-1 were variable including fever, fatigue, skin redness and so on, but they were all tolerable. The clinical phase studies of GM-CSF and IL-3 are now on going. The preliminary studies show that GM-CSF has granulo-poietic activity but not thrombo-poietic activity, and that IL-3 has multi-hematopoietic activity. These cytokines may be useful for treatment of disorders of hematopoietic stem cells such as aplastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. The side effects of both cytokines are resemble, but all are tolerable.