Il-2 in combination with immune checkpoints inhibitors as a promising approach for cancer immunotherapy: A literature review

Abstract

Relevance: Interleukin-2 (IL-2) alone has been shown to induce tumor regression and approved to treat metastatic renal cancer and melanoma. Checkpoint inhibitors realize their therapeutic
 effect through stimulation of immune system effectors; one of such
 mechanisms is the enhancement of IL-2 production by T-helpers.
 The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness
 of IL-2 administration as a component of combined immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors and to suggest the mechanisms by which IL-2 can reduce the frequency and severity of side
 effects during checkpoint inhibitor therapy without reducing their
 effectiveness.
 Methods: The literature search was performed in the PubMed,
 SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases by the keywords in article titles: “immunotherapy,” “checkpoint inhibitors,” “interleukin-2,” and
 “combination therapy” for the period 2011-2021. A total of 248 relevant articles were found. The review’s inclusion criteria were: clinical
 cases; data of clinical research methods; data on humans/body fluids from humans; literature reviews and meta-analyses. The selected
 24 articles met the search criteria and were included in the review.
 Results: The combined action of IL-2 and сheckpoint inhibitors increases the proliferative and killer activity of the antitumor
 immunity effectors compared to the action of the same drugs in
 mono-mode at a level exceeding the summation effect.
 Conclusion: The combination of IL-2 and сheckpoint inhibitors can increase the effectiveness of anticancer treatment and is
 a promising area of immunotherapy