New Approaches to Maximize the Antitumor Activity of Interferon

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - April 16, 2013 - PRLog -- New Rochelle, NY—Interferons have antitumor activity and have been used to treat a variety of malignancies, including colorectal and ovarian cancers. However, their effectiveness varies. A clearer understanding of the role of interferon in immune-mediated tumor cell death and how its antitumor effects could be optimized are presented in a comprehensive Review article published in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (http://www.liebertpub.com/jir), a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com). The article is available free online on the Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (http://www.liebertpub.com/jir) website.

In the article “Immunomodulatory Effects of Interferons in Malignancies (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/jir.2012.0167),” Joseph Bekisz, Yuki Sato, Chase Johnson, Syed Husain, Raj Puri, and Kathryn Zoon, from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, MD, discuss the implications of recent study results using interferons to treat cancer. They explore the mechanisms of interferon signaling that lead to tumor cell death and propose strategies for enhancing the therapeutic, anti-cancer effects of interferon. The authors also suggest directions for future research, including alternative methods of delivering interferon-activated immune cells.

"Interferon has long been used to treat certain types of cancer, but the mechanistic basis of successful therapy has remained elusive," says Co-Editor-in-Chief Ganes C. Sen, PhD, Chairman, Department of Molecular Genetics, Cleveland Clinic Foundation. "Here, the authors summarize results from a number of new investigations, helping to clarify our knowledge."

About the Journal
Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (http://www.liebertpub.com/jir), led by Co-Editors-in-Chief Ganes C. Sen, PhD, and Thomas A. Hamilton, PhD, Chairman, Department of Immunology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly online with Open Access (http://www.liebertpub.com/openaccess/jir) options  and in print that covers all aspects of interferons and cytokines from basic science to clinical applications. Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research is the Official Journal of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research (http://www.isicr.org/). Complete tables of content and a sample issue (http://online.liebertpub.com/toc/jir/32/6) may be viewed online on the Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (http://www.liebertpub.com/jir) website.

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Viral Immunology, AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, and DNA and Cell Biology. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry’s most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm’s 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) website.