Interleukin‐6 and its receptor in cancer: Implications for Translational Therapeutics
Abstract
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a major role in the response to injury or infection and is involved in the immune response, inflammation, and hematopoiesis. Its deregulation impacts numerous disease states, including many types of cancer. Consequently, modulating IL-6 may be an innovative therapeutic strategy in several diseases. A review of relevant published literature regarding IL-6 and its receptor was performed. In addition, a review of the relevance of this cytokine system to human illness, particularly in cancer, was undertaken. IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine that is involved in the physiology of virtually every organ system. Aberrant expression of this cytokine has been implicated in diverse human illnesses, most notably inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, coronary artery and neurologic disease, gestational problems, and neoplasms. In cancer, high levels of circulating IL-6 are observed in almost every type of tumor studied and predict a poor outcome. Furthermore, elevated IL-6 levels are associated strongly with several of the striking phenotypic features of cancer. Several molecules have been developed recently that target the biologic function of IL-6. Early results in the clinic suggest that this strategy may have a significant salutary impact on diverse tumors. The field of cytokine research has yielded a deep understanding of the fundamental role of IL-6 and its receptor in health and disease. Therapeutic targeting of IL-6 and its receptor in cancer has strong bio…
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IL-6 levels increase with age.
“Consistently, IL-6 levels increase with age (296, 297).”
From IL-6 in inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer (2021) · cites this paper as [297]
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- Authors
- Hong, D. S., Angelo, L. S., & Kurzrock, R.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kurzrock, Razelle
- Venue
- Cancer
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2007-10-18
- Volume
- 110
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1911-1928
- ISSN
- 0008-543X (ISSN-L)
- 1097-0142
- OpenAlex
- W1652153701
- Cited by
- 370
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 35 · 2012: 37
- FWCI
- 2.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cancer (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cytokine Signaling Pathways and Interactions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rheumatology › Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and Therapies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › TGF-β signaling in diseases
- Keywords
- interleukin-6, IL-6 receptor, cytokines, inflammation, prognostic factors, tumor microenvironment, autoimmune disease, inflammatory diseases
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Antineoplastic Agents, Clinical Trials as Topic, Humans, Neoplasms, Interleukin-6, Drug Delivery Systems, Receptors, Interleukin-6
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