Cytokines and their use in treatment and/or prophylaxis of breast cancer

摘要

The present invention relates generally to a method for the treatment or prophylaxis of animals including humans suffering from or predisposed to breast cancer or other related cancers which comprises the use of cytokines and/or functionally active derivatives, hybrids and/or analogs thereof and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising same as therapeutic agents. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention is directed to the use of cytokines which are ligands of members of the haemopoietin receptor super family or their derivatives, hybrids or analogues as therapeutic agents. The present application also contemplates breast cancer therapies and methods of suppressing growth of normal breast cells or breast cancer cells by the use of one or more cytokines optionally in combination with other therapeutic agents as well as the use of agonists or antagonists of cytokine activity. Particularly preferred are oncostatin M (OSM) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF).