IL-21 Signaling in the Tumor Microenvironment

  • Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020:1240:73-82. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-38315-2_6.
Ghita Chabab  1 ,  Nathalie Bonnefoy  1 ,  Virginie Lafont  2
Affiliations
  • 1. IRCM, Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut régional du Cancer de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
  • 2. IRCM, Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut régional du Cancer de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. [email protected].
PMID: 32060889 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-38315-2_6
Abstract

IL-21 is an immunomodulatory cytokine produced by natural killer (NK) cells and T cells that has pleiotropic roles in immune and nonimmune cells. IL-21 can modulate innate and specific immunity activities. It is a potent stimulator of T and natural killer cell-mediated antitumor immunity but also has pro-inflammatory functions in many tissues and is involved in oncogenesis. It is important to understand IL-21 biology in these different situations to ensure the maximal benefit of therapeutic strategies targeting this cytokine. This chapter summarizes IL-21 characteristics and signaling, its role in immune system components, and its use in Cancer immunotherapies.

Keywords
Antitumor activity; Cytokine; ERK pathway; Immune cells; JAK-STAT pathways; Lymphocytes; Myeloid cells; PI3-kinase pathway; Pro-tumoral activity; Regulation; Signaling pathways; Transcription factors; Tumor microenvironment; γc Cytokine family.