Targeting interleukin-6 as a treatment approach for peritoneal carcinomatosis

• Published in: Journal of translational medicine Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 402 - 18
• Main Authors: Dadgar, Neda, Sherry, Christopher, Zimmerman, Jenna, Park, Hyun, Lewis, Catherine, Donnenberg, Albert, Zaidi, Ali H, Fan, Yong, Xiao, Kunhong, Bartlett, David, Donnenberg, Vera, Wagner, Patrick L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 30.04.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Analysis; Animals; Cancer; Chemotherapy; Humans; IL-6; Immune response; Interleukin-6 - antagonists & inhibitors; Interleukin-6 - metabolism; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Patient outcomes; Peritoneal carcinomatosis; Peritoneal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Peritoneal Neoplasms - secondary; Review; Signal Transduction; Targeted therapy; Tumor immune microenvironment; United States; Tumor immune microenvironment; Targeted therapy; IL-6; Peritoneal carcinomatosis
• ISSN: 1479-5876; 1479-5876
• DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05205-8

Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is a complex manifestation of abdominal cancers, with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Recent work identifying high concentrations of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and its soluble receptor (sIL-6-Rα) in the peritoneal cavity of patients with PC has highlighted this pathway as an emerging potential therapeutic target. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the potential role of IL-6 in the development and progression of PC. We discuss mechansims by which the IL-6 pathway may contribute to peritoneal tumor dissemination, mesothelial adhesion and invasion, stromal invasion and proliferation, and immune response modulation. Finally, we review the prospects for targeting the IL-6 pathway in the treatment of PC, focusing on common sites of origin, including ovarian, gastric, pancreatic, colorectal and appendiceal cancer, and mesothelioma.