7.1.4　Interleukin-21

IL-21 is another cytokine from the IL-2-family that is also being actively tested in cancer clinical trials alone (NCT00095108, NCT00514085 and NCT00336987) or in combination with ipilimumab(NCT01489059), nivolumab (NCT01629758), sunitinib (NCT00617253), rituximab (NCT00347971),sorafenib (NCT00389285) or doxorubicin (NCT00523380).In a dose escalation phase I trial, there were pharmacodynamic effects of anti-tumor immunity upregulation, and 3 out of 26 patients experienced objective partial responses.In non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, recombinant IL-21 has been tested in combination with rituximab, achieving clinical responses in 8 out of 19 patients.There is also interest in using IL-21 to potentiate adoptive T cell therapy.However, the clinical development of this cytokine is still in its infancy and progress is likely to occur in the form of combinations.(https://www.daowen.com)