Interferon

About: Interferon is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 28969 publications have been published within this topic receiving 1219645 citations. The topic is also known as: IFN & interferons.

DNA Microarray Analysis of Chimpanzee Liver during Acute Resolving Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) poses a worldwide health problem in that the majority of individuals exposed to HCV become chronically infected and are predisposed for developing significant liver disease. DNA microarray technology provides an opportunity to survey transcription modulation in the context of an infectious disease and is a particularly attractive approach in characterizing HCV-host interactions, since the mechanisms underlying viral persistence and disease progression are not understood and are difficult to study. Here, we describe the changes in liver gene expression during the course of an acute-resolving HCV infection in a chimpanzee. Clearance of viremia in this animal occurred between weeks 6 and 8, while clearance of residual infected hepatocytes did not occur until 14 weeks postinfection. The most notable changes in gene expression occurred in numerous interferon response genes (including all three classical interferon antiviral pathways) that increased dramatically, some as early as day 2 postinfection. The data suggest a biphasic mechanism of viral clearance dependent on both the innate and adaptive immune responses and provide insight into the response of the liver to a hepatotropic viral infection.

Production of High-Titered Interferon in Cultures of Human Diploid Cells

Abstract: The effect of incubation with interferon prior to the stimulation of interferon production (priming) and of sequential treatment with cycloheximide and actinomycin D (superinduction) on the interferon yield from polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I·poly C)-induced diploid human foreskin cell cultures (FS-3 strain) was studied. Suitable priming with interferon produced, on the average, about an eightfold increase over the control yield, with a greater increase noted on some occasions when the control interferon yield was very low. Under the optimal conditions carefully defined in our experiments, superinduction produced about a 100-fold increase over the average control yield, resulting in interferon yields of about 10,000 reference units from cultures containing about 10 6 cells. Combined superinduction and priming did not produce yields markedly higher than obtainable by superinduction alone. Essentially similar results were obtained in cultures of human embryonic kidney cells and in FS-3 cells stimulated with other double-stranded polynucleotide inducers. However, stimulation of cells with certain concentrations of a mixture of diethylaminoethyl-dextran and poly I·poly C altered the interferon response; the yield was considerably higher than in cells stimulated with poly I·poly C alone, but it could not be markedly increased further by superinduction.

Critical Role for Tumor Necrosis Factor–related Apoptosis-inducing Ligand in Immune Surveillance Against Tumor Development

Abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells and interferon (IFN)-γ have been implicated in immune surveillance against tumor development. Here we show that tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) plays a critical role in the NK cell–mediated and IFN-γ–dependent tumor surveillance. Administration of neutralizing monoclonal antibody against TRAIL promoted tumor development in mice subcutaneously inoculated with a chemical carcinogen methylcholanthrene (MCA). This protective effect of TRAIL was at least partly mediated by NK cells and totally dependent on IFN-γ. In the absence of TRAIL, NK cells, or IFN-γ, TRAIL-sensitive sarcomas preferentially emerged in MCA-inoculated mice. Moreover, development of spontaneous tumors in p53+/− mice was also promoted by neutralization of TRAIL. These results indicated a substantial role of TRAIL as an effector molecule that eliminates developing tumors.