Interferon for pancreatic cancer – pro
Interferon is known to have anti-prliferative effects against pancreatic cancer cells, especially in the IRF-2 pathway. Unfortunately, clinical support has been delayed.
Most available studies had been in adjuvant settings where the drug’s anti-angiogenic properties may be most prominent. A few metastatic studies do not demonstrate a marked benefit of adding interferon to chemotherapy.
NeoPlas Innovation’s Stephen Cantrell, M.D., has opened a clinic where he uses lovastatin with interferon for a variety of cancer diagnosis. We await peer-reviewed publications on the results of this approach.
Vitale G, van Eijck CH, van Koetsveld Ing PM, Erdmann JI, Speel EJ, van der Wansem Ing K, Mooij DM, Colao A, Lombardi G, Croze E, Lamberts SW, Hofland LJ. Type I interferons in the treatment of pancreatic cancer: mechanisms of action and role of related receptors. Ann Surg. 2007 Aug;246(2):259-68.
Tan, Marcus C. B. MBBS (Hons); Linehan, David C. MD Adjuvant Interferon-Based Chemoradiation Followed by Gemcitabine for Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Annals of Surgery: May 2009 – Volume 249 – Issue 5 – pp 865-866
Jia Li at al, Updates of Adjuvant Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer: Where Are We and Where Are We Going? JOP. J Pancreas (Online) 2010 Jul 5; 11(4):310-312.
KATRIN HOFFMANN, STEFAN MEHRLE, JAN SCHMIDT, MARKUS W. BÜCHLER and ANGELA MÄRTEN Interferon-alpha Restitutes the ChemosensitivityANTICANCER RESEARCH 28 : 1499-1508 (2008)
Read the Layperson version here.