{
  "id": 7400216,
  "title": "Fifty years after IL-2 discovery, researchers reflect on how it has transformed medicine",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/fifty-years-after-il-2-discovery-researchers-reflect-on-how-it-has",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-14T21:20:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-fifty-years-il-discovery-medicine.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 1976, Robert C. Gallo and his colleagues made a groundbreaking discovery of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in human T-cell growth factor. This discovery marked the beginning of a new era in medicine. Dr. Rafi Ahmed and Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg, in a recent perspective published in Science, reflect on how IL-2 has transformed the field of medicine over the past 50 years.\n\nThe ability to grow and maintain human T cells in culture enabled scientists to make significant discoveries, including the identification of human T-cell leukemia viruses (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2), the first human retroviruses, and later, HIV. This breakthrough paved the way for the development of HIV blood tests and has had a profound impact on immunology and cancer treatment, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy and CAR-T cell therapy.\n\nDr. William W. Hall, co-founder of the Global Virus Network (GVN), emphasizes the importance of IL-2 in advancing human retrovirology, stating that it allowed for the isolation and characterization of human retroviruses in ways that were previously impossible. Dr. Mark Kaplan and Dr. Hall used IL-2-treated lymphocytes to isolate multiple strains of HTLV-2, highlighting the crucial role of IL-2 in this discovery.\n\nToday, 50 years after the discovery of IL-2, its legacy continues to be felt in the field of biomedical science. As governments and research institutions worldwide debate funding priorities, this anniversary serves as a reminder of the transformative power of basic research. Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim, a GVN board member, underscores the enduring impact of Gallo's work and the importance of continued investment in curiosity-driven research to drive advancements in human health.",
  "summary": "A discovery made 50 years ago helped establish the field of human retrovirology, advance understanding of the human immune system and contribute to a revolution in cancer treatment. A new perspective in Science examines that history, beginning with the 1976 discovery by Robert C. Gallo, MD, and his colleagues of a human T-cell growth factor later named interleukin-2 (IL-2).",
  "key_points": [
    "IL-2 discovery in 1976 revolutionized medicine",
    "IL-2 enabled study of human retroviruses, leading to HIV identification",
    "IL-2 critical for tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte and CAR-T cell therapies"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}