A targeted IL-15 fusion protein with potent anti-tumor activity.

IL-15 has been actively investigated for its potential in tumor immunotherapy. To enhance the anti-tumor activity of IL-15, the novel PFC-1 construct was designed, which comprises the following 3 parts: (1) IL-15Rα fused with IL-15 to enhance IL-15 activity, (2) an Fc fragment to increase protein half-life, and (3) an integrin-targeting RGD peptide to enhance tumor targeting. PFC-1 showed tumor cell targeting without compromising IL-15 activity. PFC-1 also had potent anti-tumor activities in xenograft models, suggesting the potential application of this multi-functional fusion protein in tumor therapy.