Low-dose recombinant interleukin-2 therapy: rationale and potential clinical applications.
Interleukin-2 is a lymphocytotrophic hormone that plays a critical role in the host's normal immune response. Deficiencies in the production of IL-2 are likely to be important in the pathogenesis of certain infectious and malignant diseases. A better understanding of IL-2 and its potential applications in the treatment of human disease will come about with continued efforts in at least two areas. First, we must continue to characterize IL-2 receptor expression on the cells that normally use IL-2, in an attempt to fully elucidate their functional responsiveness to this hormone in vitro and their physiologic role in vivo. Second, we should proceed with clinical trials that use rIL-2 in an effort to assess cellular and humoral responses in vivo, and to learn more about the ability of rIL-2 to provide additional defense against persistent infection or malignancy in both immunocompromised and cancer patients.
Caligiuri
M A
MA
Department of Medicine, Rosewll Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263.
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000628:therapy; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000502:physiology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins