title: Antitumour actions of interferons: implications for cancer therapy.
abstract: The interferons (IFNs) are a family of cytokines that protect against disease by direct effects on target cells and by activating immune responses. The production and actions of IFNs are finely tuned to achieve maximal protection and avoid the potential toxicity associated with excessive responses. IFNs are back in the spotlight owing to mounting evidence that is reshaping how we can exploit this pathway therapeutically. As IFNs can be produced by, and act on, both tumour cells and immune cells, understanding this reciprocal interaction will enable the development of improved single-agent or combination therapies that exploit IFN pathways and new 'omics'-based biomarkers to indicate responsive patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Belinda S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.|Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Jai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rautela
authors.affiliation: Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.|Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hertzog
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007372:Interferons