IL6 and neoplasm: Furthermore, the enhanced secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines from Huaier-induced M1 macrophages might account for a great deal of Huaier-produced antitumor effects, as in vitro experiments only demonstrated weak direct tumor suppressive activity of the Huaier-derived proteoglycan TPG-1, whereas the IL-6 and TNF-α rich supernatant of TPG-1 treated macrophages showed a much stronger inhibiting effects on tumor growth (23).