# Cytokines & engineered cytokines

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/cytokine-therapy/  
OnCo record `cytokine-therapy` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Cytokine therapy gives immune-signalling proteins as drugs. High-dose interleukin-2 was the first immunotherapy to cure some melanomas, at great toxicity.

## Summary

High-dose IL-2 and interferon-alpha are historic. Engineered IL-2 (bempegaldesleukin failed), IL-15 superagonists (nogapendekin alfa/Anktiva, approved 2024 with BCG in bladder cancer), IL-12 (tavokinogene, intratumoural), and tumour-targeted immunocytokines are the modern forms. IL-2 remains part of TIL therapy regimens.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: approved
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Principle: Systemic or targeted delivery of T- and NK-cell growth factors.
- Strengths: Potent immune expansion
- Limitations: Systemic toxicity; preferential Treg expansion (IL-2)

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine

## Connected records

- technologies: [Engineered bacteria as living cancer drugs](https://onco.cc/technologies/engineered-bacteria-therapy/), [Immunocytokines (antibody-cytokine fusions)](https://onco.cc/technologies/immunocytokines/), [In situ vaccination](https://onco.cc/technologies/in-situ-vaccination/), [Intratumoural gene electrotransfer (IL-12 plasmid)](https://onco.cc/technologies/il12-electroporation/), [TIL therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/til-therapy/), [Trained innate immunity](https://onco.cc/technologies/trained-innate-immunity/)
- cancers: [Bladder & urothelial cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/urothelial/), [Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN)](https://onco.cc/cancers/bpdcn/), [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/), [Myeloproliferative neoplasms (PV, ET, myelofibrosis)](https://onco.cc/cancers/myeloproliferative-neoplasms/), [Renal cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/rcc/)
- fronts: [Immunotherapy](https://onco.cc/fronts/immunotherapy/)
- drugs: [Aldesleukin (high-dose IL-2)](https://onco.cc/drugs/aldesleukin/), [Bempegaldesleukin](https://onco.cc/drugs/bempegaldesleukin/), [Eflapegrastim](https://onco.cc/drugs/eflapegrastim/), [Elritercept](https://onco.cc/drugs/elritercept/), [Histamine dihydrochloride](https://onco.cc/drugs/histamine-dihydrochloride/), [Interferon alfa-2a/2b](https://onco.cc/drugs/interferon-alfa/), [Lenograstim](https://onco.cc/drugs/lenograstim/), [Mifamurtide](https://onco.cc/drugs/mifamurtide/), [Nogapendekin alfa inbakicept](https://onco.cc/drugs/nogapendekin-alfa/), [Oprelvekin](https://onco.cc/drugs/oprelvekin/), [Peginterferon alfa-2b](https://onco.cc/drugs/peginterferon-alfa-2b/), [Ropeginterferon alfa-2b](https://onco.cc/drugs/ropeginterferon-alfa-2b/), [Sargramostim](https://onco.cc/drugs/sargramostim/), [Tasonermin](https://onco.cc/drugs/tasonermin/)
- companies: [Amunix Pharmaceuticals](https://onco.cc/companies/amunix-pharmaceuticals/), [Asher Biotherapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/asher-bio/), [CytomX Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/cytomx-therapeutics/), [Geneos Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/geneos-therapeutics/), [Granza Bio](https://onco.cc/companies/granza-bio/), [Strand Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/strand-therapeutics/), [SynsoryBio](https://onco.cc/companies/synsorybio/), [Werewolf Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/werewolf-therapeutics/), [Xilio Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/xilio-therapeutics/)
- trials: [A Phase 2, Open-label, Single-arm Study Of Autologous M-CENK Adoptive Cell Therapy And N-803 (IL-15 Superagonist) In Combination With Gemcitabine In P](https://onco.cc/trials/nct06710288/), [A Single-arm, Multicenter Study to Assess the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of P1101 in Adults With ET](https://onco.cc/trials/nct05482971/), [A Study of Elritercept to Treat Anemia in Adults With Very Low, Low, or Intermediate Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Who Need Regular B](https://onco.cc/trials/nct06499285/), [A Study to Access Efficacy and Safety of P1101 in Chinese PV Patients Who Are Intolerant or Resistance to HU](https://onco.cc/trials/nct05485948/), [A Study to Assess Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of P1101 in Adult Patients With PV](https://onco.cc/trials/nct05481151/), [A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Eflapegrastim in Pediatric Participants With Solid Tumors or Lymphomas and Treated With Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy](https://onco.cc/trials/nct04570423/), [Clinical Trial of N-803 Plus Tislelizumab or Prior Failed Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor and Docetaxel Versus Docetaxel Monotherapy in Participants With Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Who Have Acquired Resistance to Immune Checkpoint In](https://onco.cc/trials/nct06745908/), [Extension Study of P1101 After Completion of Phase 2 Study in PV Patients or Phase 3 Study in ET Patients](https://onco.cc/trials/nct04655092/), [Low-PV](https://onco.cc/trials/low-pv/), [N-803 and PD-L1 t-haNK Combined With Bevacizumab for Recurrent or Progressive Glioblastoma](https://onco.cc/trials/nct06061809/), [P1101 in Treating Patients With Early PMF or Overt PMF at Low or Intermediate-1 Risk](https://onco.cc/trials/nct06468033/), [PROUD-PV and CONTINUATION-PV](https://onco.cc/trials/proud-pv/), [QUILT 3.032](https://onco.cc/trials/quilt-3-032/), [Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b (P1101) vs. Anagrelide in Essential Thrombocythemia Patients With Hydroxyurea Resistance or Intolerance](https://onco.cc/trials/nct04285086/), [Study 0201](https://onco.cc/trials/study-0201/), [Study of AU-007, A Monoclonal Antibody That Binds to IL-2 and Inhibits IL-2Rα Binding, in Patients With Unresectable Locally Advanced or Metastatic Ca](https://onco.cc/trials/nct05267626/)
- pairings: [Caution: IL-2 added to anti-GD2 therapy](https://onco.cc/pairings/il2-anti-gd2-caution/)
- roadmaps: [Immunotherapy roadmap: Coley's toxins → checkpoint inhibitors → engineered immunity](https://onco.cc/roadmaps/immunotherapy-roadmap/)
- people: [Ignacio Melero](https://onco.cc/people/ignacio-melero/), [Michael A. Caligiuri](https://onco.cc/people/michael-caligiuri/), [Robert H. Vonderheide](https://onco.cc/people/robert-vonderheide/), [Steven A. Rosenberg](https://onco.cc/people/steven-rosenberg/)
- bottlenecks: [Cold tumours and the immunosuppressive microenvironment](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-tme-immunosuppression/)
- ideas: [Engineered bacteria that live in tumours and manufacture drugs there](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-bio2-engineered-bacteria-payloads/), [Grow immune command posts inside tumours](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-bio2-tertiary-lymphoid-induction/), [Inhaled immune therapy to make the lung hostile to arriving tumour cells](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-bio2-inhaled-lung-niche-immunotherapy/), [Oncolytic viruses that make interleukin-12 only inside the tumour](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-bio2-oncolytic-regulated-il12/)
- terms: [Cytokine](https://onco.cc/terms/cytokine/)
- institutions: [David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT](https://onco.cc/institutions/mit-koch/), [NCI Center for Cancer Research (intramural programme)](https://onco.cc/institutions/nci-ccr/)
- pathways: [NK-cell recognition: missing self & stress ligands](https://onco.cc/pathways/nk-cell-recognition/), [T-cell exhaustion](https://onco.cc/pathways/t-cell-exhaustion/)

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