imiquimod + interleukin-2

Imiquimod + interleukin-2 is a combination immunotherapy used primarily for the treatment of cutaneous metastatic melanoma and other skin cancers such as cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Imiquimod is a topical immune response modifier that acts as a toll-like receptor 7 agonist, stimulating innate and acquired immune responses leading to inflammatory cell infiltration and apoptosis of diseased tissue. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is administered intralesionally to enhance local immune activation by promoting T-cell proliferation and activation. The combination therapy induces systemic immunological effects, including increased CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio, activated T cells, and enhanced interferon-gamma production, which correlate with clinical responses in patients with in-transit melanoma metastases or multifocal skin cancers. This regimen has shown promising complete local response rates with good tolerability in clinical case series[1][2][3][4].

Other names

topical imiquimod and intralesional interleukin-2