title: Adjuvant histamine in cancer immunotherapy.
abstract: Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is an effective activator of lymphocytes with anti-neoplastic properties such as T-cells or natural killer cells, and this property of IL-2 has formed the basis for its widespread used as an immunotherapeutic agent in human neoplastic disease. In recent years, IL-2 therapy for solid neoplastic diseases and hematopoietic cancers has been supplemented with histamine dihydrochloride with the aim of counteracting immunosuppressive signals from monocytes/macrophages. Here we review the preclinical basis for the use of histamine as an adjunct to IL-2 in cancer immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hellstrand
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hansson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hermodsson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D006632:Histamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D006632:Histamine