Abstract
Interleukin 2 (IL-2), a T lymphocytes product released upon antigen stimulation, has been used for cancer therapy in high doses for more than five years. More recently, its potential as a stimulant of cell-meidated immunity in infectious diseases, particularly those caused by intracellular microbes, has become appreciated. Drawing on the extensive information available as to the structure, cellular and molecular effects of IL-2, this review focuses on its use in patients with lepromatous leprosy and AIDS in low, physiologic doses. The data indicate that IL-2 is effective in stimulating cell-mediated immunity without systemic toxicity.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Smith, K.A. 1988. Interleukin 2: Inception, impact, and implications. Science. 240: 1169–1176.
Smith, K.A. 1989. The interleukin 2 receptor. Annual Review of Cell Biology 5: 397–425.
Brandhuber, B.J., Boone, T. and Kenney, W.C. 1987. Three-dimensional structure of interleukin-2. Science. 238: 1701–1709.
Crabtree, G.R. 1989. Contingent genetic regulatory events in T lymphocyte activation. Science 243: 355–361.
Robb, R.J., Munck, A. and Smith, K.A. 1981. T-cell growth factor receptors: Quantitation, specificity and biological relevance. J. Exp. Med. 154: 1455–1474.
Wang, H.-M. and Smith, K.A. 1987. The interleukin 2 receptor: Functional consequences of its bimolecular structure. J. Exp. Med. 166: 1055–1069.
Hatekeyama, M., Tsudo, M., Minamoto, S., Kono, T., Doi, T., Miyata, T., Miyasaka, M. and Taniguchi, T. 1989. Interleukin-2 receptor β chain gene: generation of three receptor forms by cloned human α and β chain cDNAs. Science 252: 1523–1528.
Zmuidzinas, A., Mamon, H.J., Roberts, T.M. and Smith, K.A. 1991. Interleukin-2 triggered raf-1 expression, phosphorylation and associated kinase activity increase through G1 and S in CD3 stimulated primary human T cells. Molec. Cell Biol. 11: 2794–2803.
Hatakeyama, M., Knon, T., Kobayashi, N., Kawahara, A., Levin, S.D., Perlmutter, R.M. and Taniguchi, T. 1991. Interaction of the IL-2 receptor with the src-family kinase p56lck: Identification of novel intermolecular association. Science 252: 1523–1528.
Gaulton, G.N. and Eardley, D.D. 1986. Interleukin 2-dependent phosphorylation of interleukin 2 receptors and other T cell membrane proteins. J. Immunol. 136: 2470–2477.
Saltzman, E.M., Thom, R.R. and Casnellie, J.E. 1988. Activation of a tyrosine protein kinase is an early event in the stimulation of T lymphocytes by interleukin-2. J. Biol. Chem. 263: 6956–6959.
Saltzman, E.M., White, K. and Casnelli, J.E. 1990. Stimulation of the antigen and interleukin-2 receptors on T lymphocytes activates distinct tyrosine protein kinases. J. Biol. Chem. 265: 10138–10142.
Asao, H., Takeshita, T., Nakamura, M., Nagata, K. and Sugamura, K. 1990. Interleukin 2 (IL-2)-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of IL-2 receptor p75. J. Exp. Med. 171: 637–644.
Merida, I., Pratt, J.C. and Gaulton, G.G. 1990. Regulation of interleukin 2-dependent growth responses by glycosylphosphatidylinositol molecules. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87: 9421–9425.
Eardley, D.D. and Koshland, M.E. 1991. Glycosylphosphatidylinositol: A candidate system for interleukin-2 signal transductionE. Science. 251: 78–81.
Reed, J.C., Alpers, J.D., Nowell, P.C. and Hoover, R.G. 1986. Sequential expression of protooncogenes during lectin-stimulated mitogenesis of normal human lymphocytes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83: 3982–3986.
Dautry, F., Weil, D., Yu, J. and Dautry-Varsat, A. 1988. Regulation of pim and myb mRNA accumulation by interleukin 2 and interleukin 3 in murine hematopoietic cell lines. J. Biol. Chem. 33: 17615–17620.
Stern, J.B. and Smith, K.A. 1986. Interleukin 2 induction of T cell G1 progression and c-myb expressionA. Science 233: 203–206.
Beadling, C., Johnson, K. and Smith, K.A. In preparation.
Caligiuri, M.A., Zmuidzinas, A., Manley, T.J., Levin, H., Smith, K.A. and Ritz, J. 1990. Functional consequences of IL-2 receptor expression on resting human lymphocytes: Identification of a Novel NK cell subset with high affinity receptors. J. Exp. Med. 171: 1509–1526.
Michael Brenner—personal communication.
Ritz, J., Schmidt, R.E., Michon, J., Hercend, T. and Schlossman, S.F. 1988. Characterization of functional surface structures on human natural killer cells. Advances in Immunology 42: 181–211.
Voss, S.D., Robb, R.J., Weil-Hillman, G., Hank, J.A., Sugamura, K., Tsudo, M. and Sondel, P.M. 1990. Increased expression of the interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor β chain (p70) on CD56+ natural killer cells after in vivo IL-2 therapy: p70 expression does not alone predict the level of intermediate affinity IL-2 binding. J. Exp. Med. 172: 1101–1114.
Caligiuri, M., Smith, K.A. and Ritz, J.A. In preparation.
Baume, D., Ehlers, S., Ritz, J.A., Smith, K.A. Unpublished
Liu, C-C., Rafii, S., Granelli-Piperno, A., Trapani, J.A. and Young, J.D.-E. 1989. Perforin and serine esterase gene expression in stimulated human T cells. Kinetics, mitogen requirements, and effect of cyclosporin A. J. Exp. Med. 170: 2105–2118.
Biron, C.A., Byron, K.A. and Sullivan, J.L. 1989. Severe herpersvirus infections in an adolescent without natural killer cells. N. Eng. J. Med. 320: 1731–1735.
Molloy, A., Smith, K.D. and Kaplan, G. The selective recognition of BCG-infected monocytes by cytolytic cells and th effect of cytolysis on parasite viability. In preparation.
Blackmen, M.A., Tigges, M.A., Minie, M.E. and Koshland, M.E. 1986. A model system for peptide hormone action in differentiation: Interleukin 2 induces a B lymphoma to transcribe the J chain gene. Cell. 47: 609–617.
Ehlers, S. and Smith, K.A. 1991. Differentiation of T cell lymphokine gene expression: The in vitro acquisition of T cell memory. J. Exp. Med. 173: 25–36.
Kaplan, G., Nusrat, A., Witmer, M.D., Nath, I. and Cohn, Z.A. 1987. Distribution and turnover of Langerhans cells during delayed immune responses in human skin. J. Exp. Med. 165: 763–776.
Kaplan, G., Kiessling, R., Teklemariam, S., Hancock, G., Sheftel, G., Job, C.K., Converse, P., Ottenhoff, T.H.M., Becx-Bleumink, M., Dietz, M. and Cohn, Z.A. 1989. The reconstitution of cell-mediated immunity in the cutaneous lesions of lepromatous leprosy by recombinant interleukin 2. J. Exp. Med. 169: 893–907.
Kalpan, G., Nusrat, A., Sarno, E.N., Job, C.K., McElrath, J., Porto, J.A., Nathan, C.F. and Cohn, Z.A. 1987. Cellular responses to the intradermal injection of recombinant human γ-interferon in Lepromatous leprosy patients. Am. J. of Path. 128: 345–349.
Kaplan, G., Mathur, N.K., Job, C.K., Nath, I. and Cohn, Z.A. 1989. Effect of multiple interferon γ injections on the disposal of Mycobacterium leprae. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86: 8073–8077.
Pahwa, R., Chatila, T., Pahwa, S., Paradise, C., Day, N.K., Geha, R., Schwartz, S.A., Slade, H., Oyaizu, N. and Good, R.A. 1989. Recombinant interleukin 2 therapy in severe combined immunodeficiency disease. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 86: 5069–5073.
Weinberg, K. and Parkman, R. 1991. Severe combined immunodeficiency due to a specific defect in the production of interleukin-2. N. Eng. J. Med. 322: 1718–1723.
Schorle, H., Holtschke, T., Hunig, T., Schimpl, A. and Horak, I. 1991. Development and function of T cells in mice rendered interleukin-2 deficient by gene targeting. Nature 352: 621–624.
Kaplan, G., Britton, W.J., Hancock, G.E., Theuvenet, W.J., Smith, K.A., Job, C.K., Roche, P.W., Molloy, A., Burkhardt, R., Barker, J., Pradhan, H.M. and Cohen, Z.A. 1991. The systemic influence of recombinant interleukin 2 on the manifestations of Lepromatous leprosy. J. Exp. Med. 173: 993–1006.
McElrath, M.J., Kaplan, G., Burkhardt, R.A. and Cohn, Z.A. 1990. Cutaneous response to recombinant interleukin 2 in human immunodeficiency virus 1-seropositive individuals. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87: 5783–5787.
Lotze, M.T., Matory, Y.L., Ettinghausen, S.E., Rayner, A.A., Sharrow, S.O., Seipp, C.A.Y., Custer, M.C. and Rosenberg, S.A. 1985. In vivo administration of purified human interleukin 2 II. Half life, immunologic effects, and expansion of peripheral lymphoid cells in vivo with recombinant IL 2. J. Immunol. 135: 2865–2875.
Mier, J.W., Vachino, G., Klernpner, M.S., Aronson, F.R., Noring, R., Smith, S., Brandon, E.P., Laird, W. and Atkins, M.B. 1990. Inhibition of interleukin-2-induced tumor necrosis factor release by dexamethasone: prevention of an acquired neutrophil chemotaxis defect and differential suppression of interleukin-2-associated side effects. Blood 76: 1933–1940.
Caligiuri, M.A., Murray, C., Smith, K.A. and Ritz, J. Selective immune modulation following extended in vivo infusion of low does IL-2. In preparation.
Caligiuri, M.A., Murray, C., Soiffer, R.J., Klumpp, T.R., Selden, M., Cochran, K., Cameron, C., Ish, C., Buchanan, L., Perillo, D., Smith, K.A. and Ritz, J. 1991. Extended continuous infusion of low dose recombinant IL-2 in advanced cancer: prolonged immune modulation without significant toxicity. J. Clin. Onc. In press.
Sampaio, E.P., Sarno, E.N., Galilly, R., Cohn, Z.A. and Kaplan, G. 1991. Thalidomide selectively inhibits tumor necrosis factor α production by stimulated human monocytes. J. Exp. Med. 173: 699–703.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kaplan, G., Cohn, Z. & Smith, K. Rational Immunotherapy with Interleukin 2. Nat Biotechnol 10, 157–162 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0292-157
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0292-157