ANTIPROLIFERATIVE EFFECT OF COMBINED TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA AND INTERFERON-ALPHA ON HUMAN PANCREATIC-CANCER IN-VITRO AND IN-VIVO

The anti-proliferative effects of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-al pha) and interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), alone or in combination, on hum an pancreatic cancer cells lines (PANC-1, ML4 PaCa-2 and BxPC-3) and h uman pancreatic cancer tumour (Exp-58), were investigated in vitro and in vivo. The anti-proliferative effect was determined using the dye u ptake method and the subcutaneous tumour model. Combined TNF-alpha and IFN-alpha demonstrated marked synergistic and/or additive effects in comparison with their effects as single agents. These results suggest that combined-cytokine therapy of TNF-alpha and IFN-alpha may make pos sible some improvement in the treatment of pancreatic carcinoma patien ts in the future.