Interferon cytokine therapy

Enomoto M, Tamori A, Kohmoto MT, Hayashi T, Jomura H, Habu D, Sakaguchi H, Takeda T, Kawada N, Seki S, Shiomi S, Koh N, Nishiguchi S (2007) Lamivudine and IFN-beta sequential therapy in HBe antigen-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B virus genotype C infection. J Interferon Cytokine Res 27 201-207... 

Matskevich AA, Cordelier P, Strayer DS (2003) Conditional expression of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma activated by HBV as genetic therapy for hepatitis B, J Interferon Cytokine Res 23 709-721... 

Byhardt, R.W., L. Vaickus, PL. Witt, A.Y Chang, T. McAuliffe, J.E. Wilson, C.A. Lawton, J. Breitmeyer, M.E. Alger, and E.C. Borden, Recombinant human interferon-beta (rHuIFN-beta) and radiation therapy for inoperable non-small cell lung cancer. J Interferon Cytokine Res, 1996. 16(11) 891-902. 

Jaffe, S. Kramer, S. Sherwin, and R.G. Crystal. 1991. Organ specific cytokine therapy. Local activation of mononuclear phagocytes by delivery of an aerosol of recombinant interferon-gamma to the human lung. /. Clin. Invest. 88 ... 

Yang W, Wang Q, Kanes SJ, Murray JM, Nishikura K. Altered RNA editing of serotonin 5-HT2C receptor induced by interferon implications for depression associated with cytokine therapy. Brain Res Mol Brain Res 2004 124 70-78. 

Two remarkable successes of cytokine therapy are the treatment of multiple sclerosis with interferon-p and the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease with tumor necrosis factor-a inhibitors. 

Krown SE, Li P, Von Roenn JH, Paredes J, Huang J, Testa MA. Efficacy of low-dose interferon with antiretroviral therapy in Kaposi s sarcoma a randomized phase II AIDS clinical trials group study. J Interferon Cytokine Res 2002 22(3) 295-303. 

Borgia G, Reynaud L, Gentile I, Cerini R, Ciampi R, Dello Russo M, Piazza M. Myasthenia gravis during low-dose IFN-alpha therapy for chronic hepatitis C. J Interferon Cytokine Res 2001 21(7) 469-70. 

Cellular cytokines (interferons, G-CSF) and immune response modifiers originally produced from human cells, most often leukocytes, have now been replaced with recombinant products with well-defined structure/function. Futuristic advances in experimental hematology portend development of human blood cells produced from the hemopoetic stem cells. Yet for the foreseeable future, homologous blood donated by healthy, altruistic voluntary blood donors remains the principal source of safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products for transfusion therapy. 

Cytokines and biological response modifiers represent a broad class of therapeutic agents that modify the hosts response to cancer or cancer therapies. The enormous body information about their clinical uses and their side effects is beyond the scope of this essay that can only give illustrative examples. For an up-to-date information the reader can resort to reference [5]. As many as 33 different interleukins are known and the list continues to grow IL-2 used in the treatment of kidney cancer is one example. Interferon alpha is used for chronic myelogenous leukeia, hairy cell leukaemia and Kaposi s sarcoma. Interferons are also used in the treatment of chronic infections such as viral hepatitis. Tumor necrosis factor (alpha), G/GM/M-CSF, and several other cellular factors are used in treatment of various cancers. Many of these cytokines produce serious side effects that limit their use. 

Monoclonal antibodies for in vivo use Cytokines (e.g. interferons and interleukins) Therapeutic enzymes Thrombolytic agents Hormones Growth factors Additional miscellaneous proteins Blood Blood proteins (e.g. albumin and blood factors) Vaccines Cell- and tissue-based products Gene therapy products Antitoxins, venoms and antivenins Allenergic extracts... 

There has been some concern expressed regarding the use of CSFs to treat MDS patients. Because these cytokines have proliferative activity, they have the potential to induce a leukaemic transformation in the malignant clone. However, the combined use of CSFs with cytotoxic drugs such as cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) appears promising. If leukaemic clones are induced to proliferate by the cytokine, then they are killed by ara-C as they enter the cell cycle. Other forms of differentiation therapy, such as treatment with retinoids, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and interferons, have also been tested, but results have been variable. 

Cytokines Interferon- and interleukin-2 - Therapy with interferon- has been associated with the development of antithyroid microsomal antibodies in 20% of patients and some have transient hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, or both. Patients who have antithyroid antibodies before treatment are at higher risk of thyroid dysfunction during treatment. Interleukin-2 has been associated with transient painless thyroiditis in 20% of patients. 

INTERFERONS AND CYTOKINES FOR ANTI-INFECTIVE AND CANCER THERAPY... 

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