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Cancer Therapeutic Targets pp 335–343Cite as

Interleukin-7

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Abstract

IL-7 and its cognate receptor are critical for normal development, function and maintenance of the immune system. Aberrant and excessive activation of the IL-7 signalling pathway can promote certain hematological malignancies. It is not clear if a potential therapeutic that targets and antagonizes IL-7 signalling would have efficacy as an anti-cancer agent for maligancies where this signalling pathway is abnormally activated. Conversely enhancing IL-7 signalling, through administration of exogenous IL-7 cytokine, may have an adjuvant therapuetic benefit in promoting the efficacy of other immune based therapies used to treat malignancies such as melanoma. It is unclear if prolonged use of exogenously administered IL-7 results in any adverse outcomes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Infection and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, 3052, Parkville, VIC, Australia

    Marc Pellegrini

  2. Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, M5G 2C1, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Pamela Ohashi

Authors
  1. Marc Pellegrini
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  2. Pamela Ohashi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marc Pellegrini .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematology & Oncology, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    John L. Marshall

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© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Pellegrini, M., Ohashi, P. (2017). Interleukin-7. In: Marshall, J. (eds) Cancer Therapeutic Targets. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0717-2_45

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