Anticytokine (AC) immune
therapies derived from
vaccine procedures aim at enhancing natural immune defense mechanisms ineffective to contain abnormally produced
cytokines and counteract their pathogenic effects. Given their short half-life,
cytokines, the production of which by effector immune cells (T and B lymphocytes, antigen-presenting cells (APCs), natural killer (NK) and endothelial cells) is inducible and controlled by negative feedback regulation, (1) exert locally their signaling to paracrine/autocrine target responder cells carrying high-affinity membrane receptors and (2) are commonly present at minimal concentration in the body fluid (lymph, serum). Aberrant signaling triggered by
cytokines, uncontrolly released by effector immune cells or produced by
cancer and other pathologic cells, contribute to the pathogenesis of
chronic diseases including
cancer,
viral infections,
allergy, and autoimmunity. To block these ectopic
cytokine signaling and prevent their pathogenic effects, AC Abs supplied either by
injections (passive AC immune
therapy) or elicited by immunization with
cytokine-derived immunogenes called Kinoids (active AC immune
therapy) proved to be experimentally effective and safe. In this review, we detailed the rationale and the requirements for the use of AC
immunotherapies in humans, the proof of efficacy of these medications in
animal disease models, and their current clinical development and outcome, including adverse side effects they may generate. We particularly show that, to date, the benefit:risk ratio of AC immune
therapies is highly positive.