Experimental Urology, Department of Urology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021;1290:1-8. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-55617-4_1.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a proinflammatory cytokine, which is involved in pathogenesis of several cancers. Its expression and function in prostate cancer have been extensively studied in cellular models and clinical specimens. High levels of IL-6 were detected in conditioned media from cells which do not respond to androgens. Increased phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 factor which is induced in response to IL-6 is one of the typical features of prostate cancer. However, reports in the literature show regulation of neuroendocrine phenotype by IL-6. Effects of IL-6 on stimulation of proliferation, migration, and invasion lead to the establishment of experimental and clinical approaches to target IL-6. In prostate cancer, anti-IL-6 antibodies were demonstrated to inhibit growth in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, application of anti-IL-6 therapies did not improve survival of patients with metastatic prostate cancer. However, clinical trial design in the future may include different treatment schedule and combinations with experimental and clinical therapies. Endogenous inhibitors of IL-6 such as suppressors of cytokine signaling and protein inhibitors of activated STAT have variable effects on prostate cells, depending on presence or absence of the androgen receptor.
白细胞介素 6（IL-6）是一种促炎细胞因子，它参与了多种癌症的发病机制。在细胞模型和临床标本中，已经广泛研究了其在前列腺癌中的表达和功能。在对雄激素无反应的细胞的条件培养基中检测到高水平的 IL-6。白细胞介素 6 诱导的信号转导和转录激活因子（STAT）3 因子的磷酸化增加是前列腺癌的典型特征之一。然而，文献中的报道表明 IL-6 调节神经内分泌表型。IL-6 对增殖、迁移和侵袭的刺激作用导致了针对 IL-6 的实验和临床方法的建立。在前列腺癌中，抗 IL-6 抗体已被证明可抑制体外和体内的生长。临床上，抗 IL-6 治疗并未改善转移性前列腺癌患者的生存率。然而，未来的临床试验设计可能包括不同的治疗方案和与实验和临床治疗的联合应用。白细胞介素 6 的内源性抑制剂，如细胞因子信号转导抑制剂和激活的 STAT 蛋白抑制剂，根据雄激素受体的存在或缺失，对前列腺细胞有不同的影响。
