Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026
10:00
High-throughput Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Assay for Determining Expression Profiles of Types I and III Interferon Subtypes
Published on: March 24, 2015
New and modified interferon alfas: preclinical and clinical data
Paul Masci1, Ronald M Bukowski, Phillip A Patten
1Taussig Cancer Center, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, R35, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
Current Oncology Reports
|February 14, 2003
Summary
New interferon (IFN)-alpha therapies are being investigated for improved efficacy and tolerability in treating cancers and viral diseases. Studies include recombinant IFN alpha-1, PEG-IFN alpha-2b, gene-shuffled, and albumin-hybridized IFN-alphas.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Immunology
- Oncology
Background:
- Recombinant human interferon (IFN)-alpha was the first biotherapeutic approved for malignancy treatment.
- IFN-alpha is also effective against viral diseases.
- The human genome encodes 12 IFN-alpha proteins, with IFN alpha-1 and IFN alpha-2 being most common.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review ongoing preclinical and clinical studies of new and modified IFN-alpha variants.
- To describe a Phase I trial of recombinant IFN alpha-1.
- To summarize novel IFN-alpha types, including gene-shuffled and albumin-hybridized forms.
Main Methods:
- Review of preclinical and clinical data for novel IFN-alpha variants.
- Description of a Phase I clinical trial for recombinant IFN alpha-1.
- Pharmacokinetic and clinical study review of PEG-IFN alpha-2b.
Main Results:
- Ongoing studies are evaluating new IFN-alpha variants for potential therapeutic benefits.
- Early-phase trials and pharmacokinetic data are being gathered for modified IFN-alphas.
- Novel IFN-alpha constructs are under investigation for improved treatment outcomes.
Conclusions:
- New and modified IFN-alpha proteins show promise for enhanced efficacy and tolerability.
- Further research into diverse IFN-alpha subtypes may lead to improved treatments for cancer and viral infections.
- Investigational IFN-alpha therapies, including novel constructs, warrant continued clinical evaluation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:16Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
01:11Clinical Trials: Overview
Clinical development focuses on how the drug will interact with the human body and encompasses four key phases of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. These phases overlap and build upon one another. Phase I involves a small group of healthy volunteers (typically 20-80 individuals) or, in cases where significant toxicity is expected, patients with the targeted disease, such as cancer or AIDS. The volunteers are tested for...
01:26FDA Approved Drugs: Changes to Approved Drugs
Post-approval, manufacturers may modify an approved new or generic drug product. Such modifications can encompass alterations in the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), manufacturing process, formulation, batch size, manufacturing site, and container closure system (FDA Guidance for Industry, April 2004). Often, a drug product may undergo multiple changes.These modifications require careful evaluation to determine their potential impact on the drug product's identity, strength, quality,...
01:30Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
Protein synthesis is indispensable for viral replication, as viruses lack the cellular machinery required for this process and must hijack the host's translational apparatus. In response, host cells deploy a critical innate immune defense involving interferons, specialized cytokines that play a central role in inhibiting viral propagation.Upon viral detection, infected cells release interferons that bind to receptors on adjacent uninfected cells, activating the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and...
01:22Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors
Antiviral Nucleoside InhibitorsAntiviral nucleoside inhibitors are structural analogs of natural nucleosides that interfere with viral DNA or RNA synthesis. These compounds selectively target viral polymerases due to their resemblance to host nucleosides, thereby disrupting viral genome replication.Mechanism of Acyclovir ActionAcyclovir is a guanosine analog with a three-carbon acyclic side chain. It selectively targets herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2),...