Angiostatic activity of the antitumor cytokine interleukin-21

Blood. 2008 Dec 15;112(13):4940-7. doi: 10.1182/blood-2007-09-113878. Epub 2008 May 30.

Abstract

Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a recently described immunoregulatory cytokine. It has been identified as a very potent immunotherapeutic agent in several cancer types in animal models, and clinical studies are ongoing. IL-21 belongs to the type I cytokine family of which other members, ie, IL-2, IL-15, and IL-4, have been shown to exert activities on vascular endothelial cells (ECs). We hypothesized that IL-21, in addition to inducing the antitumor immune response, also inhibits tumor angiogenesis. In vitro experiments showed a decrease of proliferation and sprouting of activated ECs after IL-21 treatment. We found that the IL-21 receptor is expressed on vascular ECs. Furthermore, in vivo studies in the chorioallantoic membrane of the chick embryo and in mouse tumors demonstrated that IL-21 treatment disturbs vessel architecture and negatively affects vessel outgrowth. Our results also confirm the earlier suggested angiostatic potential of IL-2 in vitro and in vivo. The angiostatic effect of IL-21 is confirmed by the decrease in expression of angiogenesis-related genes. Interestingly, IL-21 treatment of ECs leads to a decrease of Stat3 phosphorylation. Our research shows that IL-21 is a very powerful antitumor compound that combines the induction of an effective antitumor immune response with inhibition of tumor angiogenesis.

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Aorta / cytology
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Chick Embryo
  • Endothelial Cells / cytology
  • Endothelial Cells / drug effects*
  • Endothelium, Vascular / cytology
  • Humans
  • Interleukins / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / drug therapy
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic / drug effects
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Receptors, Interleukin-21
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor / metabolism

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Interleukins
  • Receptors, Interleukin-21
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor
  • interleukin-21