Therapeutic alpha-interferons protein: structure, production, and biosimilar.
In 2007, the world solemnized the golden jubilee of the discovery of interferon (IFN). Interferon is a small protein messenger called a pluripotent cytokine, produced by several cells of the host in response to various biological as well as synthetic stimuli. There are three major classes of interferons in humans: IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, and IFN-gamma. As a treatment option, interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is the most effective one. IFN-α has proved to be effective as an antiviral therapy and tumor-fighting drug in the past two decades. Meanwhile, great progress has been achieved in establishing IFN-α as the first choice of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients. Recently, novel pegylated IFN-α2 products with extended in vivo half-lives and consensus interferon, an artificially engineered type I interferon, have been developed to substantially improve treatment regimes for HCV patients. Undesirable acute and chronic side effects in addition to immunogenicity of therapeutic IFN products remain constraints to conquer for further improvements in clinical applications of IFN. It is certainly expected that more research will be conducted in the future, not only to face these challenges but also to extend the range of IFN products and their clinical targets. The objective herein is to review the current therapeutic alpha-interferons production, formulation technologies, and prospective future for the original entity and its biogeneric version.
a Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science , King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia.
Nawal Abd
NA
El-Baky
Elrashdy M
EM
Redwan
D059451:Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016174:Hepacivirus; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015202:Protein Engineering; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
D059451:Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals; C554158:IFNA2 protein, human; D016898:Interferon-alpha
alpha-interferons; antiproliferative activity; antiviral therapy; hepatitis C virus treatment; immunotherapeutic drug; interferon-stimulated genes