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Review
. 2023 Sep 15;12(18):2284.
doi: 10.3390/cells12182284.

Interleukin-21 Influences Glioblastoma Course: Biological Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential

Alberto Repici  1 , Alessio Ardizzone  1 , Alessia Filippone  1 , Cristina Colarossi  2 , Marzia Mare  2 , Gabriele Raciti  3   4 , Deborah Mannino  1 , Salvatore Cuzzocrea  1 , Irene Paterniti  1 , Emanuela Esposito  1
Affiliations
Review

Interleukin-21 Influences Glioblastoma Course: Biological Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential

Alberto Repici et al. Cells. .

Abstract

Brain tumors represent a heterogeneous group of neoplasms involving the brain or nearby tissues, affecting populations of all ages with a high incidence worldwide. Among the primary brain tumors, the most aggressive and also the most common is glioblastoma (GB), a type of glioma that falls into the category of IV-grade astrocytoma. GB often leads to death within a few months after diagnosis, even if the patient is treated with available therapies; for this reason, it is important to continue to discover new therapeutic approaches to allow for a better survival rate of these patients. Immunotherapy, today, seems to be one of the most innovative types of treatment, based on the ability of the immune system to counteract various pathologies, including cancer. In this context, interleukin 21 (IL-21), a type I cytokine produced by natural killer (NK) cells and CD4+ T lymphocytes, appears to be a valid target for new therapies since this cytokine is involved in the activation of innate and adaptive immunity. To match this purpose, our review deeply evaluated how IL-21 could influence the progression of GB, analyzing its main biological processes and mechanisms while evaluating the potential use of the latest available therapies.

Keywords: cancer immunology; cytokines; glioblastoma; interleukin-21; primary brain tumors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Signaling pathway of IL-21.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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