Improving the original immunotherapy

Recombinant IL-2 was one of the first immunotherapies marketed for cancer but is not widely used due to severe off-target toxicities. Cue Biopharma Inc. is developing preclinical programs that deliver IL-2 only to T cells that recognize specific tumor antigens, which should avoid the side effects associated with broadly acting IL-2 therapies.

IL-2 is a powerful T cell stimulator. But its effects aren’t limited to tumor-targeting T cells, which is what leads to toxicities, including vascular leak syndrome...