Title: Concerted action of IFN-α and IFN-λ induces local NK cell immunity and halts cancer growth.

Authors: Lasfar, Ahmed; de laTorre, Andrew; Abushahba, Walid; Cohen-Solal, Karine A; Castaneda, Ismael; Yuan, Yao; Reuhl, Kenneth; Zloza, Andrew; Raveche, Elizabeth; Laskin, Debra L; Kotenko, Sergei V

Published In Oncotarget, (2016 Aug 02)

Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent type of liver cancer. No significant improvement has been reported with currently available systemic therapies. IFN-α has been tested in both clinic and animal models and only moderate benefits have been observed. In animal models, similar modest antitumor efficacy has also been reported for IFN-λ, a new type of IFN that acts through its own receptor complex. In the present study, the antitumor efficacy of the combination of IFN-α and IFN-λ was tested in the BNL mouse hepatoma model. This study was accomplished by using either engineered tumor cells (IFN-α/IFN-λ gene therapy) or by directly injecting tumor-bearing mice with IFN-α/IFN-λ. Both approaches demonstrated that IFN-α/IFN-λ combination therapy was more efficacious than IFN monotherapy based on either IFN-α or IFN-λ. In complement to tumor surgery, IFN-α/IFN-λ combination induced complete tumor remission. Highest antitumor efficacy has been obtained following local administration of IFN-α/IFN-λ combination at the tumor site that was associated with strong NK cells tumor infiltration. This supports the use of IFN-α/IFN-λ combination as a new cancer immunotherapy for stimulating antitumor response after cancer surgery.

PubMed ID: 27363032

MeSH Terms: No MeSH terms associated with this publication