Overview

Cancer immunotherapy modulates the immune system in order to reject and destroy tumors. Immunotherapy is the youngest of the four effective pillars of cancer treatment including operation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Similar to insulin, adrenalin and steroids, immune hormones regulate the most important organ functions. Particularly interleukin-2, an immune hormone (cytokine) produced by lymphocytes, plays a key role in the regulation of many different and very important immune functions as well as cell proliferation in animals and in humans. Like other hormones it can be used as a very efficient drug in diseases. We are only starting to understand the right - bimimetic - use of these immune hormones. It is clear, however, that interleukin-2 is one of the most promising key players in inducing more and very effective cells that are able to kill cancer cells. Interleukin-2 does not harm the tumor itself, but induces immune cells to develop highly efficient cancer cytotoxicity and to proliferate. Immune cell-based cytotoxic responses precisely and efficiently attack cancer cells. T cells with a naturally occurring reactivity to a patient's cancer can be found in large numbers (up to 80% of total tumor volume) infiltrating the patient's own tumors. It is a straightforward - biomimetic - strategy for successful biological tumor control to boost such naturally occurring local immune reactions with a natural hormone.