Recent and future perspectives on engineering interferons and other cytokines as therapeutics

As crucial mediators and regulators of our immune system, cytokines are in-volved in a broad range of biological processes and are implicated in various disease pathologies. The field of cytokine therapeutics has gained much mo-mentum from the maturation of conventional protein engineering methodologies such as structure-based designs and/or directed evolution, which is further aided by the advent of in silico protein designs and characterization. Just within the past 5 years, there has been an explosion of proof-of-concept, preclinical, and clinical studies that utilize an armory of protein engineering methods to de-velop cytokine-based drugs. Here, we highlight the key engineering strategies undertaken by recent studies that aim to improve the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile of interferons and other cytokines as therapeutics.

Automated summary

Cytokines are important regulators of the immune system, involved in various biological processes and diseases. Cytokine therapeutics have benefited from advances in protein engineering methodologies, including structure-based designs and in silico protein designs. In recent years, there has been significant progress in developing cytokine-based drugs through protein engineering methods. This article highlights key engineering strategies to improve the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile of interferons and other cytokines as therapeutics.