Reconsideration of Interferon 2001.3.26

Reconsideration of Interferon 2001.3.26

Interferon’s primary functions are anti-tumor and anti-viral. Natural α-interferon is derived from human white blood cells and produced after induction by Sendai virus, officially known as α-nl interferon. In recent years, highly active natural interferon produced by human fibroblasts is called β-interferon. With the advancement of genetic engineering, people have used biotechnology to produce γ-interferon, and DNA recombination technology has been employed to create α-1b interferon. Thus, α-, β-, and γ-interferons are now all manufactured. Interferon is a major activator of human macrophages, enhancing monocyte circulation and increasing the number of natural killer (NK) cells. Interferon is allergenic (an异体蛋白), so anyone with allergies must undergo an allergy test. Some patients experience obvious side effects, such as dizziness, nausea, palpitations, and restlessness. Currently, due to different manufacturers, the names of these products are quite varied and confusing—for example, “Saigold” refers to α-2b interferon, while “Shenglei” refers to γ-interferon.