Advances in Interleukin-2 Engineering and Delivery Systems for Cancer Immunotherapy

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a multifunctional cytokine that plays a central role in the proliferation, differentiation, and function of regulatory T cells (Tregs), effector T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. Given the immunomodulatory properties of IL-2, high-dose IL-2 has been approved for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma and melanoma, making it the first cytokine-based immunotherapy to achieve clinical translation. However, the extremely short half-life in vivo, significant systemic toxicity, and immune suppression mediated by the preferential activation of Tregs severely limit its clinical application and therapeutic efficacy. In recent years, with a deeper understanding of the composition and distribution of IL-2 receptor subunits and their downstream signaling pathways, protein engineering research aimed at improving the therapeutic index of IL-2 has become increasingly active. This article reviews the structural-functional relationships of IL-2 and its receptor complexes, summarizes engineering strategies for IL-2 variants, and examines IL-2 delivery systems designed to achieve selective targeting of effector cells in cancer immunotherapy. These approaches have made progress in mitigating IL-2-induced systemic toxicity, providing a design basis for the development of safer and more effective IL-2 therapies.