Interferon-induced alterations in cells: relevance to viral and nonviral diseases.

Thus, interferon has diverse effects on cellular structure and/or function. Although some of these effects may be involved in interferon's antiviral actions, they may also play a role in normal physiologic processes. Inappropriate production of or response to interferon may, therefore, contribute to abnormal cell-cell interactions seen in a variety of disease states. In view of the increasingly widespread use of human interferons in antiviral and anticancer therapy, further investigation is needed to understand the many effects of interferons on cells. For example, insight into the biologic properties of each of the numerous subspecies of alpha-interferon may allow more rational decisions about the type of interferon, dose, and administration schedule necessary for maximal beneficial effects in cancer patients. Further studies on the immunoregulatory effects of the different types of interferons are also necessary to elucidate whether interferon is involved in the pathophysiology of immune disorders.