Molecular and Macroscopic Therapeutic Systems for Cytokine-Based Cancer Immunotherapy

Cytokines are proteins that mediate and regulate inflammation and immune responses in the body. While several cytokines have been investigated as antitumor agents in multiple clinical trials due to their potent immunomodulatory activities, the unfavorable pharmacokinetics of recombinant cytokines resulted in substantial side effects and a low therapeutic index. Because these factors have hampered the further development of cytokine-based immunotherapy, bioengineered technologies that can enhance therapeutic efficacy and lower systemic toxicities are in high demand. In this review, the molecular modification of cytokines and delivery system for the spatiotemporal distribution of exogenous cytokines as well as macroscopic delivery systems for endogenous cytokine production based on gene therapy and immunomodulator-mediated therapy will be discussed.