title: Type I interferons: ancient peptides with still under-discovered anti-cancer properties.
abstract: Type I interferons (IFNs) represent a group of cytokines that act through a common receptor composed by two chains (IFNAR-1 and IFNAR-2). Several in vitro and in vivo studies showed a potent antitumor activity induced by these cytokines. IFN-α, the first cytokine to be produced by recombinant DNA technology, has emerged as an important regulator of cancer cell growth and differentiation, affecting cellular communication and signal transduction pathways. IFN-α, is currently the most used cytokine in the treatment of cancer. However, the potential anti-tumour activity of IFN-α is limited by the activation of tumour resistance mechanisms. This article reviews the current knowledge about the antitumor activity of type I IFNs, focusing on new potential strategies able to strengthen the antitumor activity of these cytokines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Second University of Naples, Via Costantinopoli, 16 80138 Naples Italy. michele.caraglia@unina2.it
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caraglia
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dicitore
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marra
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castiglioni
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Persani
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sperlongano
authors.forename: Pierosandro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tagliaferri
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbruzzese
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vitale
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007370:Interferon Type I; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D017471:Receptors, Interferon