title: MDA-7/IL-24: multifunctional cancer killing cytokine.
abstract: First identified almost two decades ago as a novel gene differentially expressed in human melanoma cells induced to terminally differentiate, MDA-7/IL-24 has since shown great potential as an anti-cancer gene. MDA-7/IL24, a secreted protein of the IL-10 family, functions as a cytokine at normal physiological levels and is expressed in tissues of the immune system. At supra-physiological levels, MDA-7/IL-24 plays a prominent role in inhibiting tumor growth, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis and was recently shown to target tumor stem/initiating cells for death. Much of the attention focused on MDA-7/IL-24 originated from the fact that it can selectively induce cell death in cancer cells without affecting normal cells. Thus, this gene originally shown to be associated with melanoma cell differentiation has now proven to be a multi-functional protein affecting a broad array of cancers. Moreover, MDA-7/IL-24 has proven efficacious in a Phase I/II clinical trial in humans with multiple advanced cancers. As research in the field progresses, we will unravel more of the functions of MDA-7/IL-24 and define novel ways to utilize MDA-7/IL-24 in the treatment of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.
authors.forename: Mitchell E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.forename: Shilpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.forename: Praveen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhoopathi
authors.forename: Swadesh K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Luni
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Emdad
authors.forename: Santanu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dent
authors.forename: Xiang-Yang
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Devanand
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099180:Interleukin-24
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000099180:Interleukin-24