Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: DrugBank:BIOD00082 (IL-2)
 29,198 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

There have been major advances in our understanding of the cellular and humoral immune mechanisms involved in antitumour activities. The characterization of soluble mediators of the immune response and their synthesis as recombinant proteins has led to an explosion of research activity concerning their role as antitumour agents and also as contributors to the pathogenesis of cancer. It is evident that cytokine production is not restricted to cells of the immune system, and that cytokines are involved in a variety of cell regulatory processes ranging from embryonic development to tissue differentiation. Their production by immune cells may enable interactions between the immune system and other homeostatic systems of the body. The therapeutic role of some cytokines such as the interferons and IL-2 in the routine management of gynaecological cancers needs to be investigated further because of their promise as antitumour agents. The study of cytokine production and cytokine receptor expression by cancers is potentially of great therapeutic value. Identification of cytokines that contribute to tumour progression may paradoxically lead to the treatment of cancers by agents that antagonize their biological effects and to rationalization of future trials of cytokine therapy.
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PMID:The immune system and gynaecological cancer. 128 Jan 88

The present work reports the modulation of immunocompetent cell functions by two aza alkyl phospholipids (AAP), BN 52205 and BN 52211. Each compound was compared with 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ET-18-OCH3) and/or three drugs used for cancer treatment, i.e. cisplatyl (CIS), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cytosine arabinoside (ARA-C). Interleukin (IL)-1 release from P388D1 cells was increased 2-fold in the presence of 5 micrograms/ml BN 52205 or BN 52211. However, these stimulations were lower than those obtained with ARA-C, 5-FU and CIS. Compared with ET-18-OCH3, CIS and 5-FU, BN 52205 and BN 52211 were more efficient in increasing tumor necrosis factor production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from human monocytes. In vitro, all compounds exhibited similar activity in enhancing IL-6 production from human monocytes stimulated with LPS, with the exception of 5-FU and CIS that were inactive. At 20 mg/kg (i.v.), a peak of IL-6 production was reached 2 h after injection of ET-18-OCH3 [> 1280 U/ml (n = 4, p < 0.001) versus 3.5 +/- 0.2 U/ml (n = 7)], whereas BN 52211 induced a maximum of IL-6 production after 4 h (77 +/- 27 U/ml, n = 5, p < 0.001). BN 52205 induced peaks of IL-6 production after 3 and 6 h (90 +/- 62 and 68 +/- 35 U/ml, respectively, p < 0.001, n = 4). The proliferation of rat splenocytes was abolished in the presence of BN 52205 and BN 52211 at 10 micrograms/ml, corresponding to only a partial reduction of IL-2 production at the same concentration. The production of interferon-gamma was stimulated 6- to 10-fold in the presence of 1-5 micrograms/ml BN 52205, BN 52211 and ARA-C. BN 52211 and BN 52205 were also potent enhancers of IL-3 production, whereas 5-FU and ARA-C were inhibitory. These results indicate that in addition to a direct antitumoral effect, AAP may also exhibit immunomodulatory activity both in vitro and in vivo.
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PMID:Immunomodulatory activity of two new aza alkyl phospholipid antineoplastic drugs. 128 31

It has been observed that neopterin, a specific marker of macrophage activation, increases during cancer immunotherapy with IL-2, and this effect is mediated by interferons produced by IL-2-stimulated lymphocytes. Moreover, our previous studies have shown that neopterin rise during IL-2 immunotherapy is associated with an enhanced release of soluble IL-2 receptor (SIL-2R), which may suppress IL-2-dependent immune functions. This finding would suggest that neopterin increase may be related to the generation of suppressive events, which occur during IL-2 immunotherapy. On the basis of the documented modulatory effect of IL-3 on macrophage functions, we have evaluated the influence of IL-3 on neopterin secretion during IL-2 immunotherapy. The study was performed in advanced lung cancer patients. We have investigated 9 immunotherapeutic courses consisting of IL-2 (6M IU/day s.c. for 5 days/week for 3 weeks) plus IL-3 (1 microgram/(kg x day) i.v. for 14 days, starting 7 days before IL-2). The results were compared to those found during 18 courses with IL-2 alone. Mean neopterin levels increased significantly during IL-2 alone, but not in response to IL-3 plus IL-2. SIL-2R rise was significantly higher during IL-2 than during IL-3 plus IL-2. Mean numbers of NK cells and activated lymphocytes increased significantly in both groups of patients, but were significantly lower at the end of the treatment in patients receiving IL-2 alone than in those treated with IL-3 plus IL-2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Modulation of macrophage response to interleukin-2 immunotherapy by interleukin-3 in cancer patients. 129 6

Recent experiments have shown that a great variety of neurohormones can interact with IL-2 in the modulation of host antitumor immune response. On the basis of these data, a study was started to evaluate the effect of the pineal hormone melatonin (MLT) on IL-2-induced immune changes in cancer. The study included 30 advanced cancer patients. They were randomized to be treated with IL-2 at a dose of 3 million IU subcutaneously twice/daily (8.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m.) for 6 days/week for 4 weeks, with IL-2 once/daily in the evening, with IL-2 once/daily plus MLT at 10 or at 50 mg/day. MLT was given orally at 8.00 p.m. Both IL-2 given twice daily and IL-2 given once daily and IL-2 given once daily in association with MTL induced a significant increase in mean number of lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, NK cells, CD25-positive cells and eosinophils, whereas the single administration of IL-2 alone was unable to determine a significant rise in the mean number of immune cells. Soluble IL-2 receptor and neopterin increase was significantly higher during IL-2 given twice/daily than during IL-2 plus MLT, while no difference was seen in TNF rise. This study would suggest that a single daily injection of low-dose IL-2 is able to efficiently activate the lymphocyte proliferation in cancer patients when it is given in association with the pineal hormone MLT.
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PMID:Immunological effects of a single evening subcutaneous injection of low-dose interleukin-2 in association with the pineal hormone melatonin in advanced cancer patients. 129 54

On the basis of our previous preliminary data which showed that the pineal hormone melatonin (MLT) may potentiate IL-2 activity and reduce the dose of IL-2 required to determine an effective host antitumor response, we performed a clinical study with low-dose IL-2 given once/day subcutaneously (3 million IU/day for 6 days/week for 4 weeks) in association with MLT (50 mg/day orally at 8.00 p.m. every day) as a second-line therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer patients pretreated with 5-fluorouracil. Evaluable patients were 13/14, and most of them showed disseminated liver metastases. No objective tumor regression was seen. A stabilization of disease was achieved in 4/13 patients (median duration 5+ months), and the other 9 patients progressed. Mean number of lymphocytes and eosinophils significantly increased during the treatment. Moreover, the mean increase in lymphocyte number was significantly higher in patients with stable disease than in those with progressive disease, whereas there was no difference as regards eosinophils. Serum levels of neopterin and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) significantly increased during therapy, and TNF increase was correlated to the side effects rather than to the control of cancer development. This study shows that neuroimmunotherapy with low-dose interleukin-2 and MLT, even though capable of determining an evident expansion of immune cells involved in host antitumor response, does not seem to be effective in terms of tumor regression in metastatic colon cancer patients pretreated with 5-fluorouracil.
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PMID:Neuroimmunotherapy with subcutaneous low-dose interleukin-2 and the pineal hormone melatonin as a second-line treatment in metastatic colorectal carcinoma. 129 33

The metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) still remains an untreatable disease, and the role played by chemotherapy has yet to be defined. The new immunotherapeutic strategies, such as interferon and IL-2, seem to be also less effective, since they generally determine only a stabilisation of disease. On the basis of previous experimental results suggesting a synergistic action between IL-2 and the pineal neurohormone melatonin (MLT), a study was started to evaluate the clinical efficacy and toxicity of a neuroimmunotherapeutic combination consisting of IL-2 plus MLT as a first line therapy in metastatic NSCLC. The study included 20 patients (adenocarcinoma: 10; epidermoid cell carcinoma: 7; large cell carcinoma: 3). MLT was given orally at a dose of 10 mg day-1 at 8.00 pm every day, starting 7 days before the onset of IL-2 administration. IL-2 was given subcutaneously at a dose of 3 x 10(6) IU m-2 every 12 h for 5 days/week for 4 weeks, corresponding to one cycle of immunotherapy. In responder patients or in those with stable disease, a second cycle was given after a rest-period of 21 days. A partial response was achieved in 4/20 (20%) patients. Ten other patients had a stable disease (50%), whereas the last six patients progressed. Toxicity was low in all cases. This study shows that the neuroimmunotherapeutic therapy with IL-2 and the pineal hormone MLT may represent a new effective and well tolerated treatment in metastatic NSCLC, with results comparable to those obtained with chemotherapy, but with an apparent lower biological toxicity.
Br J Cancer 1992 Jul
PMID:Biological and clinical results of a neuroimmunotherapy with interleukin-2 and the pineal hormone melatonin as a first line treatment in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. 132 55

Cytokines can have both negative and positive effects on cells undergoing carcinogenesis. The promotion and progression phases of carcinogenesis may be affected by autocrine loops involving cytokines with growth factor activities such as IL-1, IL-2, low molecular weight B cell growth factor, TNF, IL-3, GM-CSF, M-CSF and IL-9. Aberrations in cytokine receptors such as the truncated EGF receptor present in v-erB promotes the growth of neoplastic cells. Aberrant signaling mechanisms, as found with spleen focus-forming virus, which mimics the ligand that activates the erythropoietin receptor, can also contribute to proliferation of preneoplastic and neoplastic cells. In contrast, cytokines such as interferons, LIF, TGF-beta, TNF and leukoregulin, with antiproliferative or differentiating activities, are sometimes capable of inhibiting carcinogenesis. Transfection of tumor cells with cytokine genes, such as IL-2, IL-4 and TNF, can cause suppression of in vivo tumor cell growth by mobilizing host immune and inflammatory cell responses. Thus cytokines and their receptors may play a direct role in early stages of tumor cell development and growth.
Semin Cancer Biol 1992 Feb
PMID:Cytokines as positive and negative regulators of tumor promotion and progression. 132 42

It has been demonstrated that antitumor immune response is an IL-2-dependent phenomenon. Moreover, experimental results suggest the existence of interactions between IL-2 and the pineal gland, which also plays a role in the control of immunity and cancer growth. Alterations of both IL-2 and melatonin secretion have been reported in cancer patients. To further investigate pineal/IL-2 relationships in humans with cancer, we evaluated the melatonin rhythm in seven advanced small cell lung cancer patients, before and at weekly intervals during immunotherapy with IL-2, given subcutaneously at a daily dose of 3 x 10(6) IU/m2 twice daily for 5 days/week for 4 weeks. Before IL-2, no patient showed a light/dark rhythm of melatonin. IL-2 administration induced a normalization of the melatonin circadian rhythm, with the appearance of a night time peak in 4/7 patients. This effect, however, disappeared with IL-2 interruption in 3/4 patients. This preliminary study, by showing that IL-2 may restore a normal melatonin rhythm, suggests that the anomalous pineal function in cancer may depend at least in part on the altered endogenous IL-2 production.
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PMID:Normalization of the light/dark rhythm of melatonin after prolonged subcutaneous administration of interleukin-2 in advanced small cell lung cancer patients. 132 6

The immunomodulatory effect of lithium chloride was studied. The IL-2 and IFNr production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) were assayed in 52 normal subjects and 156 cancer patients. IL-2 and IFN-r levels in lymphoma patients were lower than in normal subjects. The IFNr level in the majority of patients with lung and esophageal cancers was abnormal but the IL-2 level was within the normal range. When lithium, IL-2 was incubated with PBMC in vitro, upregulation of IL-2 and IFNr production was observed in normal subjects and cancer patients. The IL-2 and IFNr levels were significantly increased by both lithium and rIL-2 but the effect of lithium was more potent. Lithium upregulated IFNr in 70% of patients with low levels whereas it did so in only 10-20% of patients with high levels. Therefore, lithium is a promising new immunoregulatory agent for clinical use.
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PMID:[Modulation effect of lithium on IL-2 and IFNr production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells]. 133 88

The stimulatory effect of IL-2 on cortisol rise represents an undesirable biological event during IL-2 cancer immunotherapy. At present, no cytokine has been proven to be able to counteract IL-2-induced cortisol increase. This study was carried out to evaluate the influence of IL-3 on IL-2 stimulation of cortisol secretion. Five lung cancer patients were investigated after IL-2 (3 x 10(6) IU s.c.), after IL-3 (1 mcg/kg b.w. i.v.) and after IL-3 plus IL-2, by administering IL-3 two hours before IL-2 injection. IL-2 significantly stimulated cortisol secretion. IL-3 alone had no effect on cortisol levels. The pretreatment with IL-3 completely neutralizes IL-2-induced cortisol release. These preliminary results would suggest that IL-3 may be associated with IL-2 during cancer immunotherapy to modulate the effect of IL-2 on the endocrine system.
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PMID:Inhibitory effect of interleukin-3 on interleukin-2-induced cortisol release in the immunotherapy of cancer. 133 54


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