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. 2024 Feb 15;29:124. doi: 10.1186/s40001-024-01711-z

Table 2.

Anti-tumor roles of cytokines during tumorigenesis

Cytokine Secretory cells Anticancer effects
IL-2 [77, 115] CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, NK cells, DCs, mast cells ↑ CD4+ T-cell differentiation, ↑ CD8+ T-cell cytotoxicity, ↑ T-cell proliferation, ↑ NK-cell proliferation and activation
IL-7 [116] Thymic stromal and mesenchymal cells, lymphatic endothelial cells, intestinal epithelial cells ↑ T-cell, B-cell, and NK-cell proliferation
IL-12 [117] DCs, phagocytes (monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils) ↑ CTL and NK-cell cytotoxicity; ↑ IFN-γ secretion by T cells, NK cells, ILCs; ↑ antigen presentation
IL-15 [118, 119] DCs, monocytes, epithelial cells ↑ T-cell and NK-cell activation and proliferation
IL-21 [120, 121] CD4+ T cells, NKT cells ↑ CD8+ T-cell, NK-cell, and NKT-cell cytotoxicity
IFN-α, IFN-β [122, 123] Lymphocytes (NK cells, B cells, and T cells), macrophages, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, osteoblasts ↑ DC maturation and activation; ↑ MHC class I expression on tumor cells; ↑ NK-cell maturation and cytolytic effect
IFN-γ [85] CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, NK cells, B cells, NKT cells, professional antigen Presenting Cells (APCs) ↑ Cell surface MHC class I expression; ↑ T-cell, NK-cell, and NKT-cell migration into tumors