Cytokine gene transfer in cancer therapy.

New strategies based on gene transfer technology are employed in cancer therapy. Cytokines are polypeptides involved in immunity and inflammation, and essentially control the magnitude of the immune response. Genetically modified tumor cells releasing various cytokines have been shown to enhance tumor immunogenicity and to induce the regression of preexisting tumors. In some instances, immunological memory has been generated to resist the subsequent challenge with unmodified, parental tumor cells. Cytokine gene transfer into antitumor effector cells, as well as antigen presenting cells, is also being investigated to augment antitumor immune responses.