Potential Therapeutic Applications for Interleukin 1: Anti-Tumor and Hematopoietic Effects

摘要

Interleukin 1 (IL 1), a major immunoregulatory monokine, was originally defined by its ability to act as a co-mitogenic factor for murine thymocytes. Since then IL 1 has been revealed to act as a mediator of host defenses that modulates inflammatory, immunological as well as hematological reactions. In this report we will discuss two distinct effects of IL 1 with potential therapeutic applicability: First, antitumor cell activities and second, the bone marrow restorative activities that probably account for the radioprotective effects of IL 1. There is in vitro and in vivo evidence that IL 1 may play an important role in host defense against tumors by augmenting in vitro monocyte-mediated tumor cytotoxicity by augmenting in vitro NK cell activity by having direct in vitro antiproliferative and cytocidal effects for some tumor cells, and by inducing in vivo tumor regression in mice. We have also shown that administration of IL 1 protects mice from death. This increased survival was paralleled by the recovery of hematopoietic system from radiation damage. In the course of investigating the reasons for the marrow (BM) restorative effects of IL 1, we have observed that administration of IL 1 to normal mice markedly increases cycling of bone marrow cells. These observed properties of IL 1 induction of BM cell cycling, differentiation of leukemic cell and its cytostatic effect may have therapeutic utility. Reprints. (AW)