Method of pre-sensitizing cancer prior to treatment with radiation and/or chemotherapy and a novel cytokine mixture

Abstract

This invention relates to a breakthrough method for pre-sensitizing cancer prior to a therapeutic treatment such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy or immuno-therapy and a novel cytokine mixture used in the method thereof. The cytokine mixture is a serum-free and mitogen-free mixture comprised of specific ratios of cytokines such as IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ and GM-CSF to Interleukin 2 (IL-2), which is effective in inducing cancerous cells to enter a proliferative cell cycle phase thereby increasing their vulnerability to chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immuno-therapy. One such novel cytokine mixture is Multikine®, which can be used alone or in combination with other drugs for the treatment of cancer thereby increasing the success of cancer treatment and the disease free survival of cancer patients.

1 . A method for pre-sensitizing cancer prior to a therapeutic treatment, comprising the step of: 
 administering a therapeutically active amount of a serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture to cancer.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said therapeutic treatment is selected from the group consisting of chemotherapy, immuno-therapy and radiation therapy.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture is peritumorally administered three times a week over a two week period in a range from about 20 IU to 1600 IU wherein IU represent International Units for Interleukin-2 given in World Health Organization 1st International Standard for Human IL-2, 86/504.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture is peritumorally administered three times a week over a two week period in a range from about 40 IU to 800 IU wherein IU represent International Units for Interleukin-2 given in World Health Organization 1st International Standard for Human IL-2, 86/504.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture is peritumorally administered three times a week over a two week period in a range from about 35 IU to 75 IU wherein IU represent International Units for Interleukin-2 given in World Health Organization 1 st  International Standard for Human IL-2, 86/504.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture is peritumorally administered three times a week over a two week period at 55 IU wherein IU represent International Units for Interleukin-2 given in World Health Organization 1 st  International Standard for Human IL-2, 86/504.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture is peritumorally administered three times a week over a two week period at 400 IU wherein IU represent International Units for Interleukin-2 given in World Health Organization 1 st  International Standard for Human IL-2, 86/504.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture is peritumorally administered three times a week over a two week period at 800 IU wherein IU represent International Units for Interleukin-2 given in World Health Organization 1 st  International Standard for Human IL-2, 86/504.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture is peritumorally administered five times a week over a two week period at 800 IU wherein IU represent International Units for Interleukin-2 given in World Health Organization 1 st  International Standard for Human IL-2, 86/504.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture is comprised of specific ratios of cytokines selected from the group of IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ and GM-CSF to Interleukin-2 (IL-2) as follows: 
 IL-1β to IL-2 at a ratio range of 0.4-1.5;    TNF-α to IL-2 at a ratio range of 3.2-11.3;    IFN-γ to IL-2 at a ratio range of 1.5-10.9; and    GM-CSF to IL-2 at a ratio range of 2.2-4.8.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said specific ratios of cytokines are as follows: 
 IL-1β to IL-2 at a ratio range of 0.6 to 0.8;    TNF-α to IL-2 at a ratio range of 7.7 to 10.9;    IFN-γ to IL-2 at a ratio range of 4.9 to 7.1; and    GM-CSF to IL-2 at a ratio range of 3.5 to 4.5.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture is Multikine®.  
     
     
         13 - 27 . (canceled)  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising an IL-3 to IL-2 ratio in a range from 0.38-0.68, preferably at 0.53±0.15.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising an IL-6 to IL-2 ratio in a range from 37.2-53.8, preferably at 46±5.9.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising an IL-8 to IL-2 ratio in a range from 261-561.5, preferably at 411±10.6.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising an IL-1α to IL-2 ratio in a range from 0.56-0.94, preferably at 0.75±0.19.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising an IL-10 to IL-2 ratio in a range from 2.82-3.22, preferably at 3.0±0.18.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising an IL-16 to IL-2 ratio in a range from 1.16-2.84, preferably at 1.84±0.68.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising a G-CSF to IL-2 ratio in a range from 2.16-3.78, preferably at 2.97±0.81.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising a TNF-β to IL-2 ratio in a range from 1.17-2.43, preferably at 1.8±0.63.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising a MIP-1α to IL-2 ratio in a range from 15.7-37.16, preferably at 22.7±7.0.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising a MIP-1β to IL-2 ratio in a range from 17.1-28.5, preferably at 22.8±5.7.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising a RANTES to IL-2 ratio in a range from 2.3-2.7, preferably at 2.5±0.13.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising a EGF to IL-2 ratio in a range from 0.267-0.283, preferably at 0.275±0.008.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising a PGE 2  to IL-2 ratio in a range from 3.63-5.42, preferably at 4.5±0.87.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 10 , said serum-free and mitogen-free cytokine mixture, further comprising a TxB 2  to IL-2 ratio in a range from 23.47-25.13, preferably at 24.3±0.83.