Preclinical Immunotoxicology Assessment of Cytokine Therapeutics

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews advances in the development of biological and nonbiological cytokine modulators and their use in human therapeutics. The various types of cytokine therapeutics as well as methodologies and approaches for assessing the multiplicity of potential toxicities of the immune system are reviewed. With an increased understanding of the biology of health and disease as well as the tools that were developed to gain this understanding, the possibility of using the body's own endogenous factors to treat disease and restore health is becoming popular. One potential target of this therapy is the group of factors collectively known as cytokines. Cytokines and their role in health and disease are described. The chapter examines the numerous experimental and clinical approaches that are designed to tap into the body's own healing power. It discusses the various types of toxicity that are associated with cytokine therapeutics and methodologies and approaches for assessing the multiplicity of potential toxicities to the immune system, describes in detail the modulation of cytokine activity as a therapeutic modality, examines clinical toxicity associated with the modulation of cytokine activity, immunotoxicology assessment of cytokine therapeutics, and reviews techniques and approaches used for preclinical immunotoxicology assessment.