Table 1.
Clinically approved recombinant cytokine therapies for in vivo immunomodulation.
| Cytokine | Approval Indication (Year) | Other Indications | Adm. Route* | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| IFN-α IFN-α2a; IFN-α2b; peginterferon α2a; peginterferon α2b IFN-αn1; IFN-αn3 |
Hairy cell leukemia (1986) | Karposi’s sarcoma, chronic myelogenous leukemia, metastatic malignant melanoma, follicular lymphoma hepatitis B and C, condyloma acuminate, labial and genital herpes, rhinoviruses | s.c. >TIM (Q1W PEG) |
[43,44] |
| IFN-β IFN-β1a; IFN-β1b; peginterferon β1a; IFN-β (Soluferon) |
Relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (1993) | - | s.c./i.m. QOD/Q1W (Q2W PEG) | [44,45] |
| IFN-γ IFN-γ1b |
Chronic granulomatous disease (1990) | Malignant osteopetrosis | s.c. TIW |
[41,46] |
| TNF-α tasonermin |
Sarcoma (Europe, 1998) – application via isolated limb perfusion | Non-melanoma skin cancer– application via isolated limb perfusion | i.v. | [47,48] |
| IL-2 adesleukin |
Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (1992) | Metastatic melanoma | i.v. Q8H |
[41,49] |
| IL-11 oprelvekin |
Chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (1997) | - | s.c. QD |
[50] |
| G-CSF filgrastim; lenograstim; pegfilgrastim |
Prophylaxis of febrile neutropenia in patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy (1991) | Accelerating neutrophil recovery after bone marrow transplantation, mobilizing peripheral-blood progenitor cells, and shortening the duration of neutropenia in patients receiving induction chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia / reduce the incidence and sequelae of neutropenia in symptomatic patients with congenital, cyclic, or idiopathic neutropenia | i.v./s.c. QD (PEG s.c. >Q1W) |
[51] |
| GM-CSF sargramostim; molgramostim |
Accelerate myeloid recovery after autologous bone marrow transplantation and delayed or failed engraftment after allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation (1991) | Accelerating neutrophil recovery after bone marrow transplantation, mobilizing peripheral-blood progenitor cells, and shortening the duration of neutropenia in patients receiving induction chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia | i.v./s.c. QD |
[51] |
| EPO epoetin alfa |
Anemia associated with chronic renal failure (1989) | Anemia from Zidovudine used in HIV-infection, from myelosuppressive chemotherapy / reduction of allogenic red-blood cell transfusion in patients undergoing elective, noncardiac, nonvascular surgery | s.c./i.v. TIW or Q1W (PEG Q2W) |
[52,53] |
*
Primary administration (Adm.) routes, some indications may differ. PEG – polyethylene glycol; Parenthesis indicates any changes on the PEG-conjugated form of the cytokine
Abbreviations: s.c. - subcutaneous; i.m. – intramuscular; i.v. – intravenous; QD – every day; Q1W – every week; TIM – three times a week; Q8H – every eight hours; Q2W – every two weeks