| Cytokines are key players in the regulation of immune responses both in physiological and pathological
states. A number of cytokines have been evaluated in clinical trials and shown promising results in the
treatment of different malignancies. Despite this, the clinical application of these molecules may be
plagued by undesirable side effects The development of recombinant antibody–cytokine fusion proteins,
which offer a means for target delivery of cytokines toward the tumor site, has significantly improved the
therapeutic index of these immunomodulatory molecules. Selective tumor localization is provided by the
monoclonal antibody component of the fusion protein that binds to the molecules present on the surface
of tumor cells or accumulated preferentially in the diseased site. In this manner, the cytokine element is
specifically located at the tumor site and can stimulate immune cells with appropriate cytokine
receptors. Over the recent years, several antibody–cytokine fusion proteins have been developed with the
capacity to target a wide variety of cancers whose application, in some cases, has led to complete
rejection of the tumor. These
findings support the notion that antibody–cytokine fusion proteins
represent huge potential for cancer therapy. This review presents an overview of the advances made in
the
field of targeted cytokine delivery, which is made possible by genetically engineering antibody–
cytokine fusion proteins. |