Potentials of interleukin-27 (IL-27) as an immunotherapeutic cytokine in cancer therapy

Cancer immunotherapy using cytokines has been sought as an alternative therapeutic approach for treating cancers. Besides remarkable immunoregulatory properties, interleukin (IL)-27 has recently been shown to possess promising anticancer functions; hence, its potential roles in cancer immunotherapy. Although proven to be effective against cancer cell growth and angiogenesis, given its dual immune-regulating functions (pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory), the use of IL-27 as a cancer immunotherapeutic cytokine could possibly be a two-edged sword without meticulous and thorough research. This mini-review mainly discusses the functions and future prospects of IL-27 as an effective anticancer cytokine. Hopefully, it imparts useful insights into the potential applications of IL-27 in cancer immunotherapy