Combination of Chemotherapy and Cytokine Therapy in Treatment of Cancers

MALVICINI M; ALANIZ L; RIZZO M; GUILLERMO MAZZOLINI

Cancer Immunology

Springer

Año: 2020; p. 203 - 212

Increasing evidence suggests that immune responses participate in the control of cancergrowth and that the immune system can be manipulated in different ways to recognizeand attack tumors. Cytokines are proteins produced by monocytes, macrophages, andlymphocytes, which regulate proliferation, differentiation and functional activation ofimmune cells, playing a key role in this response. A number of cytokines (e.g.,interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18; granulocyte macrophagecolony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF); granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF);tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α; macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF or CSF-1); and interferon (IFN)-γ) demonstrated their ability to induce immunity against cancer.However, systemic administration of recombinant cytokines may induce unaffordabletoxicity; in addition, the immunosuppressive milieu clearly limits its potential efficacy. Inthis context, protocols combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy with cytokinesdemonstrated potential for therapeutic synergy. For example, cyclophosphamide,gemcitabine, paclitaxel, and doxorubicin have been used for this purpose. Moreover, newstudies indicate that reducing the dose of conventional chemotherapy could act in synergyto generate immunity against many tumors. This chapter provides an overview of theevidence that supports the rationale for the use of combined therapy as a strategy toachieve specific antitumoral immune response in cancer patients.