Cytokine therapy.
Cytokines are a heterogeneous group of soluble small polypeptides or glycoproteins, which exert pleiotropic and redundant effects that promote growth, differentiation and activation of normal cells. Cytokines can have either pro- or anti-inflammatory activity and immunosuppressive activity, depending on the microenvironments. The tumor microenvironment consists of a variable combination of tumor cells, endothelial cells and infiltrating leukocytes, such as macrophages, T-lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, B cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Cytokine production acts as a means of communication in the tumor microenvironment. In this article, we review the cross-talk between cytokines in the tumor environment and the cytokine therapies that have been used till date for glioma treatment.
Department of Neurosurgery, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
Masasuke
M
Ohno
Atsushi
A
Natsume
Toshihiko
T
Wakabayashi
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005910:Glioma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000379:methods; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D018448:Models, Immunological; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000276:immunology*
D016207:Cytokines