{
  "abstract": "Interleukin-18-binding protein (IL18BP) is a pivotal extracellular gatekeeper of IL-18 activity and an emerging therapeutic target in cancer. By sequestering mature IL-18, IL18BP controls the receptor-accessible free ligand within the tumor microenvironment. The consequences are highly context dependent: IL18BP may suppress beneficial natural killer- and T-cell responses, yet also restrain IL-18-driven immune tolerance, inflammation, and metastatic adaptation. Here, we outline the mechanisms, cellular sources, tissue distribution, and cancer-specific roles of the IL-18/IL18BP axis. We emphasize that total, bound, and free IL-18 are biologically distinct and must be interpreted alongside IL18BP abundance, receptor competence, responder-cell identity, and treatment context. Accordingly, IL18BP blockade or decoy-resistant IL-18 agonists may restore antitumor immunity in selected settings, whereas preserving or enhancing IL-18 neutralization may be protective in others. Precision therapeutic tuning, rather than indiscriminate blockade, will be essential to translate this axis into effective biomarkers and cancer treatments.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Fuzhou University Affiliated Provincial Hospital, School of Medicine, Fuzhou University",
    "Huzhou Central Hospital, The Fifth School of Clinical Medicine of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University",
    "Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University",
    "Shanghai Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University"
  ],
  "article_type": "research support, non u.s. gov't",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Chenshen Huang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yiqing Jiang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ning Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Bing Du"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Qi Huang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9k6yjvhbnzykk.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fimmu.2026.1922089",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13684787",
  "id": "9k6yjvhbnzykk",
  "issns": [
    "1664-3224"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1922089/full",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2730|Cytokine Signaling Pathways and Interactions"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220836993",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13684787?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13684787",
  "pmid": "42909878",
  "published": "2026-10-07",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9k6yjvhbnzykk.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:15Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fimmu.2026.1922089",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1922089/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:10Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42909878",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909878"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2730|Cytokine Signaling Pathways and Interactions",
      "subfield": "oncology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "IL18BP in cancer: a double-edged sword and emerging therapeutic opportunity",
  "title_text": "IL18BP in cancer: a double-edged sword and emerging therapeutic opportunity",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:10Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9k6yjvhbnzykk",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Immunology",
  "versions": []
}