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A recombinant agent that is chemically identical or similar to the endogenous cytokine interleukin-15 (IL-15) with immunomodulating activity. IL-15, secreted by mononuclear phagocytes (and some other cell types) following viral infection, regulates T and natural killer cell activation and proliferation. This cytokine induces activation of transcription activators STAT3, STAT5, and STAT6 via JAK kinase signal transduction pathways in mast cells, T cells, and dendritic epidermal T cells. IL-15 and interleukin-2 (IL-2) are structurally similar and share many biological activities; both may bind to common hematopoietin receptor subunits, negatively regulating each other\'s activity. CD8+ memory T cell number has been shown to be regulated by a balance between IL-15 and IL-2. Check for \'https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials/intervention/C1545\' active clinical trials using this agent. (\'http://ncit.nci.nih.gov/ncitbrowser/ConceptReport.jsp?dictionary=NCI%20Thesaurus&code=C1545\' NCI Thesaurus)
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