title: [Interferon--a new therapeutic principle].
abstract: Interferons (IFNs) have already been discovered 35 years ago. In the seventies, improvements of blood cell- and tissue culture techniques made it possible to obtain sufficient material to be used within clinical therapy studies. Recombinant DNA technology allowed large scale production of this protein in highly purified form and the development of pharmaceutical specialities. These preparations have been used for detailed biological characterisation of IFN. Beside antiviral activity IFN has potent antitumoral effects (inhibition of proliferation, influence on oncogene expression and growth factor production, induction of differentiation, inhibition of transformation). Furthermore, IFNs are potent immunomodulating agents as they augment cytotoxic activity of effector cells, modulate the expression of membrane proteins (tumor-associated antigens, histocompatibility antigens) and have influence on the cytokine cascade. Based on these pleiotropic activities IFNs can be considered new therapeutics principles.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Angewande und Experimentelle Onkologie, Universität Wien.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Micksche
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D016898:Interferon-alpha
vernacular_title: Interferon--ein neues therapeutisches Prinzip.