Ariail Emily, Biggs Benjamin, O'Flanagan Rowan, Schneck Jonathan P
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Immunol Invest. 2025 Jul;54(5):604-622. doi: 10.1080/08820139.2025.2464055. Epub 2025 Feb 21.
IL-7 is a cytokine that plays a critical role in the development and proliferation of many different immune cells. IL-7 is notably important for the proper development and activity of T cells and B cells. Additionally, the cytokine plays a role in the function of natural killer cells and dendritic cells. Because of this innate biological activity, IL-7 has gained traction as a potential immunotherapy for multiple applications.
We conducted a comprehensive literature review to explore the physiological role of IL-7 and current applications harnessing the biology of IL-7 as a therapeutic. We also investigated the ways in which IL-7 is being engineered to enhance its therapeutic potential.
Notably, IL-7 has demonstrated efficacy in adoptive cell therapy models and as a vaccine adjuvant. The cytokine has also been used as a treatment for sepsis and other chronic infections. To further enhance its therapeutic efficacy, IL-7 has been engineered by fusing the cytokine to antibody fragments or other bioactive or targeting molecules. These engineered IL-7 therapeutics seek to improve the cytokine's pharmacokinetic and immunological properties and reduce off-target effects.
IL-7 immunotherapies largely remain at the preclinical stage, but there is growing interest in IL-7's many therapeutic applications and increasing opportunities to further engineer the molecule for future clinical translation.
白细胞介素-7（IL-7）是一种细胞因子，在许多不同免疫细胞的发育和增殖中起关键作用。IL-7对T细胞和B细胞的正常发育和活性尤为重要。此外，该细胞因子在自然杀伤细胞和树突状细胞的功能中也发挥作用。由于这种固有的生物学活性，IL-7作为一种具有多种潜在应用的免疫疗法而受到关注。
我们进行了一项全面的文献综述，以探讨IL-7的生理作用以及目前利用IL-7生物学特性作为治疗手段的应用。我们还研究了对IL-7进行改造以增强其治疗潜力的方法。
值得注意的是，IL-7已在过继性细胞治疗模型中以及作为疫苗佐剂显示出疗效。该细胞因子还被用作败血症和其他慢性感染的治疗方法。为了进一步提高其治疗效果，已通过将细胞因子与抗体片段或其他生物活性或靶向分子融合来改造IL-7。这些经过改造的IL-7疗法旨在改善细胞因子的药代动力学和免疫学特性，并减少脱靶效应。
IL-7免疫疗法大多仍处于临床前阶段，但人们对IL-7的多种治疗应用兴趣日益浓厚，并且有越来越多的机会对该分子进行进一步改造以用于未来的临床转化。
