CYTOKINE-INDUCED TUMOR IMMUNOGENICITY - FROM EXOGENOUS CYTOKINES TO GENE-THERAPY

The local presence of cytokines can drastically alter tumor host immun e relations and activate a nonspecific reaction that in some cases lea ds to induction of specific responses to otherwise nonimmunogenic tumo rs. The employment of cytokines in the creation of new antitumor vacci nes is thus a tempting prospect. Analogous effects have been obtained with cytokines inoculated locally and cytokines released from tumor ce lls engineered to produce them. An account is given of some mechanisms whereby this cytokine-induced reaction results in increased tumor imm unogenicity. However, the real value of this potential form of vaccine in inducing the regression of incipient or established tumors remains to be established.