Enhancement of actinomycin D- and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II)-induced killing of human fibroblasts by human beta-interferon.

When normal or transformed human fibroblasts are incubated with actinomycin D, RNA synthesis is irreversibly inhibited, and the treated cells eventually die. This cell-killing effect of actinomycin D is significantly enhanced by pretreating the cells with human interferon. This effect of interferon is species specific and appears to be under the control of gene(s) located on human chromosome 21. Enhancement of cell killing effect of cis-platinum by interferon pretreatment is also observed.