Mk. Gately et Mj. Mulqueen, INTERLEUKIN-12 - POTENTIAL CLINICAL-APPLICATIONS IN THE TREATMENT ANDPREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS-DISEASES, Drugs, 52, 1996, pp. 18-25
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.