Interleukin-7 immunotherapy.
IL-7 is a member of the common gamma-chain family of cytokines sharing a common gamma-chain in their receptor. Beyond its long-established pivotal role in immune development, it has been more recently recognized as a critically important regulator of peripheral naïve and memory T cell homeostasis while its role in postdevelopment thymic function remains at best, poorly defined, and controversial. Its multiple immune-enhancing properties, most notably in the maintenance of T cell homeostasis, make it a very attractive candidate for immunotherapy in a wide variety of clinical situations. Following many years of rich preclinical data in murine and simian models, IL-7 is now emerging in human phase I trials as a very promising immunotherapeutic agent. Human in vivo data discussed here are derived from the phase I study initiated at the National Cancer Institute in collaboration with Cytheris, Inc., in a cohort of subjects with incurable malignancy.
Sportès
Claude
C
Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. csportes@mail.nih.gov
Gress
Ronald E
RE
D000818:Animals; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000502:physiology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*
D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D015851:Interleukin-7