OncoSignal
Live from Open Targets Platform, fetched 2026-11-11 15:37 UTC. Every row links to its source record.

IL2 interleukin 2

ENSG00000109471 · protein coding · Open Targets profile

Cytokine produced by activated CD4-positive helper T-cells and to a lesser extend activated CD8-positive T-cells and natural killer (NK) cells that plays pivotal roles in the immune response and tolerance (PubMed:6438535). Binds to a receptor complex composed of either the high-affinity trimeric IL-2R (IL2RA/CD25, IL2RB/CD122 and IL2RG/CD132) or the low-affinity dimeric IL-2R (IL2RB and IL2RG) (PubMed:16293754, PubMed:16477002). Interaction with the receptor leads to oligomerization and conformation changes in the IL-2R subunits resulting in downstream signaling starting with phosphorylation of JAK1 and JAK3 (PubMed:7973659). In turn, JAK1 and JAK3 phosphorylate the receptor to form a docking site leading to the phosphorylation of several substrates including STAT5 (PubMed:8580378). This process leads to activation of several pathways including STAT, phosphoinositide-3- kinase/PI3K and mitogen-activated protein kinase/MAPK pathways (PubMed:25142963). Functions as a T-cell growth factor and can increase NK-cell cytolytic activity as well (PubMed:6608729). Promotes strong proliferation of activated B-cells and subsequently immunoglobulin production (PubMed:6438535). Plays a pivotal role in regulating the adaptive immune system by controlling the survival and proliferation of regulatory T-cells, which are required for the maintenance of immune tolerance. Moreover, participates in the differentiation and homeostasis of effector T-cell subsets, including Th1, Th2, Th17 as well as memory CD8-positive T-cells. {ECO:0000269|PubMed:16293754, ECO:0000269|PubMed:16477002, ECO:0000269|PubMed:25142963, ECO:0000269|PubMed:6438535, ECO:0000269|PubMed:6608729, ECO:0000269|PubMed:7973659, ECO:0000269|PubMed:8580378}.

In 15 of 15 cancers, the evidence for IL2 comes mainly from mutations found in tumours

Each row is a cancer, strongest overall evidence first. The two dots show how strong the inherited (germline) and tumour-mutation (somatic) evidence is; the line between them is the gap.

Inherited (germline) variantsMutations in tumours (somatic)
00.250.50.751breast neoplasmbreast neoplasmbreast neoplasm: somatic 0.68acute myeloid leukemiaacute myeloid leukemiaacute myeloid leukemia: somatic 0.30hepatocellular carcinomahepatocellular carcinomahepatocellular carcinoma: somatic 0.30lung adenocarcinomalung adenocarcinomalung adenocarcinoma: somatic 0.30breast carcinomabreast carcinomabreast carcinoma: somatic 0.30B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemiaB-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemiaB-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia: somatic 0.30head and neck squamous cell carcinomahead and neck squamous cell carcinomahead and neck squamous cell carcinoma: somatic 0.30small cell lung carcinomasmall cell lung carcinomasmall cell lung carcinoma: somatic 0.30pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomapancreatic ductal adenocarcinomapancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: somatic 0.30skin basal cell carcinomaskin basal cell carcinomaskin basal cell carcinoma: somatic 0.30gastric carcinomagastric carcinomagastric carcinoma: somatic 0.30cutaneous melanomacutaneous melanomacutaneous melanoma: somatic 0.30colon adenocarcinomacolon adenocarcinomacolon adenocarcinoma: somatic 0.30esophageal squamous cell carcinomaesophageal squamous cell carcinomaesophageal squamous cell carcinoma: somatic 0.30skin squamous cell carcinomaskin squamous cell carcinomaskin squamous cell carcinoma: somatic 0.30

Scores run from 0 (no evidence) to 1 (strongest). A missing dot at 0 means Open Targets holds no evidence of that kind. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.

Tractability

Small molecule
Structure with Ligand, High-Quality Ligand, Med-Quality Pocket
Antibody
GO CC high conf, UniProt loc med conf, UniProt SigP or TMHMM
PROTAC
Small Molecule Binder

gnomAD loss of function constraint: o/e 0.20518000423908234 (upper bound 0.5303000211715698). Low values mean loss of function is poorly tolerated, a safety flag for inhibition.

Who runs trials of these drugs

No named investigators on registry trials of IL2's approved or late-stage drugs in the last three years.

No terminated, withdrawn or suspended trials of IL2's drugs are registered

All 0 drugs and clinical candidates as a table

Each drug, stage and indication links to its Open Targets record, where the trials and approvals behind it are listed. Salt forms (for example a mesylate) are listed as Open Targets records them, as separate entries.

DrugTypeHighest stageIndicationsSource records
No drugs or clinical candidates recorded.