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The Benefits And Side Effects Of Interferon Alpha

PATH3343: Immunology and Immunopathology
TOPIC: The benefits and side effects of interferon-α therapy. Include molecular mechanisms.

It is well known throughout the medical professions that interferon-alpha (IFN-α) has antiviral and anti-tumour properties, the very name ‘interferon' springing from this fact1. Interferon proteins were first described in 1957 by Alick Isaacs and Jean Lindenmann – they discovered that supernatants from virus-infected cell cultures contained a substance that could react with other cells, rendering them resistant to infection by the same or unrelated viruses.2 The interferon family comprises of molecules capable of ‘interfering' with viral infection, and form part of the cytokine superfamily. Cytokines carry signals locally from one cell to another, playing an important role in the body's natural defensive system. In this respect, IFN's are considered to be the first line of defence against viral invasion.3
Although IFN's were first recognised for their potent antiviral properties, they were shown to inhibit cell growth and promote differentiation. Other functions included modulation of activity in virtually every component of the immune system, including antibody response, stimulation of cytotoxic lymphocytes, expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and other surface antigens, recruitment of natural killer (NK) cells and activation of macrophages.3,4
Interferon alpha is classified as a type 1 Interferon, a subgroup that comprises IFN-α and IFN-β primarily – as they share the same receptor complex known as the IFN-α receptor, and subsequently have similar activities to each other (60% homology).5 IFN-alpha is produced primarily by dendritic cells and macrophages in response to foreign cells and nucleic acids – leading to a JAK/STAT signalling cascade which leads to viral ‘preparation' in influenced cells. As such, IFN-alpha is used in a number of conditions, with various benefits and side...