title: Harnessing the biology of IL-7 for therapeutic application.
abstract: Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is required for T cell development and for maintaining and restoring homeostasis of mature T cells. IL-7 is a limiting resource under normal conditions, but it accumulates during lymphopaenia, leading to increased T cell proliferation. The administration of recombinant human IL-7 to normal or lymphopenic mice, non-human primates and humans results in widespread T cell proliferation, increased T cell numbers, modulation of peripheral T cell subsets and increased T cell receptor repertoire diversity. These effects raise the prospect that IL-7 could mediate therapeutic benefits in several clinical settings. This Review summarizes the biology of IL-7 and the results of its clinical use that are available so far to provide a perspective on the opportunities for clinical application of this cytokine.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Section, Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. cm35c@nih.gov
authors.forename: Crystal L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Mackall
authors.forename: Terry J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Fry
authors.forename: Ronald E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Gress
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D015851:Interleukin-7; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C415350:interleukin-7 receptor, alpha chain