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Interleukin‐10 and the immune response against cancer: a counterpoint
Author(s) -
Mocellin Simone,
Marincola Francesco M.,
Young Howard A.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of leukocyte biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.819
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1938-3673
pISSN - 0741-5400
DOI - 10.1189/jlb.0705358
Subject(s) - immune system , biology , cytokine , immunology , adjuvant , cancer , acquired immune system , tumor microenvironment , immunity , genetics
Although interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) is commonly regarded as an anti‐inflammatory, immunosuppressive cytokine that favors tumor escape from immune surveillance, a wealth of evidence is accumulating that IL‐10 also possesses some immunostimulating properties. In fact, IL‐10 has the pleiotropic ability of influencing positively and negatively the function of innate and adaptive immunity in different experimental models, which makes it questionable to merely categorize this cytokine as a target of anti‐immune escape therapeutic strategies or rather, as an immunological adjuvant in the fight against cancer. Here, we review available data about the immunostimulating anticancer properties of IL‐10, and in particular, we focus on the hypothesis that in contrast to what occurs in secondary lymphoid organs, IL‐10 overexpression within the tumor microenvironment may catalyze cancer immune rejection.