Combination Therapy with Thymosin α1 and Cytokines in the Treatment of Cancer and Infectious Diseases

Abstract

During recent years, many studies have stressed the importance of new approaches in the use of biological response modifiers (BRMs) in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Although there is general agreement on the therapeutical potential of these agents, their clinical use did not yield the expected results. As a consequence, in the attempt to improve the efficacy of these molecules, many groups are trying different approaches, including combination therapies with various cytokines. In particular, it seems likely that combinations of different BRMs can result in a more potent effect than single treatments (1–4) The rationale of this new approach stems from the observations that immune physiologic responses involve cascades and feedback networks in which the release of one cytokine modulate both cytokine and cytokine-receptor production. Moreover, combination of BRMs could affect different immune effector cells.