IL-33 isoforms: their future as vaccine adjuvants?

Abstract

The identification and characterization of cytokine isoforms is likely to provide critical important new insight into immunobiology. Cytokine isoforms can provide additional diversity to their complex biological effects that participate in control and protection against different foreign pathogens. Recently, IL-33 has been identified as a proinflammatory cytokine having several different biologically active isoform products. Originally associated with Th2 immunity, new evidence now supports the role of two IL-33 isoforms to facilitate the generation of protective Th1 and CD8 T cell immunity against specific pathogens. Therefore, a better understanding of the IL-33 isoforms will inform us on how to utilize them to facilitate their development as tools as vaccine adjuvants for immune therapy.

Keywords:

• adjuvant
• cancer vaccine
• CD8 T cell
• cytokine
• DNA vaccine
• immunotherapies
• IL 33
• isoform

Financial & competing interests disclosure

DB Weiner has grant funding, participates in industry collaborations, has received speaking honoraria, and fees for consulting. This service includes serving on scientific review committees and advisory boards. Remuneration includes direct payments or stock or stock options and in the interest of disclosure therefore he notes potential conflicts associated with this work with Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Inovio, Touchlight, oncosec, Merck, VGXI, and possibly others. Licensing of technology from his laboratory has created over 100 jobs in the private sector in the biotech/pharma industry. The other authors declare no competing financial interests.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.