Title:Type I Interferons: Ancient Peptides with Still Under-Discovered Anti-Cancer Properties
Volume: 20
Issue: 4
Author(s): Michele Caraglia, Alessandra Dicitore, Monica Marra, Sara Castiglioni, Luca Persani, Pasquale Sperlongano, Pierosandro Tagliaferri, Alberto Abbruzzese and Giovanni Vitale
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Type I interferons, interferon-alpha, interferon-beta, STATs, mTOR, pegylated interferons, farnesyltransferase inhibitors, EGF-R, cytokine, antitumor activity
Abstract: Type I interferons (IFNs) represent a group of cytokines that act through a common receptor composed by two
chains (IFNAR-1 and IFNAR-2). Several in vitro and in vivo studies showed a potent antitumor activity induced by these
cytokines. IFN-, the first cytokine to be produced by recombinant DNA technology, has emerged as an important regulator
of cancer cell growth and differentiation, affecting cellular communication and signal transduction pathways. IFN-, is
currently the most used cytokine in the treatment of cancer. However, the potential anti-tumour activity of IFN- is limited
by the activation of tumour resistance mechanisms. This article reviews the current knowledge about the antitumor
activity of type I IFNs, focusing on new potential strategies able to strengthen the antitumor activity of these cytokines.
