The immunobiological functions and therapeutic applications of interleukin-17 family in cancer

Nasrin Mansuri; Asma'a H Mohamed; Marya Ahsan; Sana Abdul-Jabbar Ali; Mohammed Ansar Qureshi; Waleed A Aldhaaban; Ayaz Khurram Mallick; Muataz Elsiddig Dafaalla Mohammed; Fuzail Ahmad; Irshad Ahmad; Mohammad Chand Jamali; Alaa Shafie

doi:10.1016/j.retram.2025.103527

The immunobiological functions and therapeutic applications of interleukin-17 family in cancer

Curr Res Transl Med. 2025 Jul 2;73(4):103527. doi: 10.1016/j.retram.2025.103527. Online ahead of print.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Optometry Techniques, Technical College Al-Mussaib, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Najaf, Iraq. Electronic address: asmaa.muhammed@atu.edu.iq.
³ Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 13317, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Pharmacy Department, Al Safwa University College, Karbala, Iraq.
⁵ College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha P.O.Box 960, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
⁹ Respiratory Care Department, College of Applied Sciences, Almaarefa University, Diriya, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia.
¹⁰ Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
¹¹ College of Medical and Health Sciences, Liwa University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
¹² Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O.Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia.

PMID: 40644929
DOI: 10.1016/j.retram.2025.103527

Abstract

Interleukin-17 (IL-17) family cytokines play a pivotal role in immune responses and inflammatory processes, significantly impacting various physiological and pathological conditions. This review explores the immunobiological functions of IL-17, focusing on its diverse cellular sources, including T helper 17 (Th17) cells, γδ T cells, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), neutrophils, and natural killer T (NKT) cells, and signaling pathways. Special attention is given to IL-17 involvement in cancer, where it exhibits both pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumorigenic effects, influencing tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance through various signaling cascades such as JAK/STAT, NF-κB, and PI3K/AKT. Understanding these mechanisms highlights IL-17 as a potential therapeutic target for modulating immune responses and improving cancer treatments.

Keywords: Cancer immunotherapy; Cytokine; IL-17; Th17; Tumor; Tumor microenvironment.

Publication types

Review