title: IL-7 and IL-15: therapeutic cytokines for immunodeficiency.
abstract: Immunodeficiency due to inborn errors, infections, autoimmune diseases and the toxicity of certain therapies, has become an important clinical challenge. Strategies to enhance immune function could improve the outcome for a considerable number of patients. Although myeloid growth factors have found widespread use in clinical medicine, a 'lymphoid growth factor' has not yet been established in clinical use. Several recent studies have proposed two candidate immunostimulatory cytokines: interleukin-7 (IL-7) and IL-15. In this Review, we discuss recent findings regarding the effects of IL-7 and IL-15 on lymphopoiesis and their potential use for the treatment of immunodeficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 406D, Mailbox 111 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Onder
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alpdogan
authors.forename: Marcel R M
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: van den Brink
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D038041:Lymphopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D018448:Models, Immunological; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019409:Interleukin-15; D015851:Interleukin-7