IN-VITRO ANTIPROLIFERATIVE EFFECT OF INTERFERON-ALPHA IN SOLID TUMORS- A POTENTIAL PREDICTIVE TEST

An in vitro test for the antiproliferative effect of human leukocyte I nterferon (IFN-alpha) was performed in primary cultures of tumor cells obtained from 32 patients with either malignant melanoma (13), renal carcinoma (4) or bladder carcinoma (15). Our results demonstrated acti vity of IFN in all three groups of solid tumors. However, appreciable differences in sensitivity to antiproliferative effect of IFN between individual tumors of the same type were found. The potential of this a ntiproliferative test for prediction of treatment response in IFN-ther apy is discussed.