title: Antibody-cytokine fusion proteins: innovative weapons in the war against cancer.
abstract: Cancer patients who are administered therapeutic doses of cytokines (e.g., interleukin-2, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor, interleukin-12, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha) frequently develop devastating toxic side effects that can lead to discontinuation of therapy. This problem has compelled numerous investigators to design innovative strategies that will reduce prolonged systemic cytokine exposure and promote cytokine accumulation at the site of the tumor. One such strategy involves the use of antibody-cytokine fusion proteins consisting of immunoenhancing cytokines genetically fused to antibodies that are able to target specific antigens exclusively expressed or overexpressed on the surface of tumor cells. Preclinical studies examining their therapeutic efficacy demonstrate that they posses potent tumoricidal activity, suggesting that they may be clinically useful as novel cancer therapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, The Molecular Biology Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dela Cruz
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Penichet
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Morrison
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor