INTERLEUKIN-12 - POTENTIAL CLINICAL-APPLICATIONS IN THE TREATMENT ANDPREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS-DISEASES

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a cytokine that promotes cell-mediated immun ity by facilitating type 1 helper T-lymphocyte responses, enhancing th e lytic activity of natural killer cells, augmenting specific cytolyti c T-lymphocyte responses, and inducing the secretion of interferon-gam ma. It can also boost the production of some subclasses of IgG antibod ies. IL-12 has demonstrated activity in several mouse models of infect ious diseases caused by viruses, protozoans, fungi, and mycobacteria. It has the potential for use either as a single immunotherapeutic agen t, in combination with chemotherapeutic agents, or as a vaccine adjuva nt. Endogenous IL-12 appears to play an important role in the host def ence against intracellular pathogens; poor IL-12 production observed i n mononuclear cells from patients infected with the human immunodefici ency virus may be involved in the susceptibility of this patient group to opportunistic infections. Clinical trials are being initiated to e valuate the possible therapeutic uses of IL-12.