Synthetic IL-2 cytokine-receptor pairs could improve T cell cancer therapies

Researchers at Stanford University suggest synthetic IL-2 cytokine-receptor pairs could improve T cell cancer immunotherapies -- including CAR T cell therapies -- by mitigating toxicities and off-target effects of IL-2 as an adjuvant.

Prior clinical data has shown IL-2 as an adjuvant to T cell therapy improves T cell survival and antitumor effects. Depending on the cytokine's interaction with its receptor as expressed in host or donor T cells, however, IL-2 can also suppress T cell responses or trigger severe toxicities...