EFFECT OF NATURAL INTERFERON-BETA ON THE GROWTH OF MELANOMA CELL-LINES

Malignant melanoma is one of the fulminant skin cancers. The 5-year su rvival of patients with stage III (N0, N1) malignant melanoma treated with multi-agent chemoimmunotherapy, including natural interferon-beta (nIFN beta), was found in our department to be better than that of pa tients treated with other forms of therapy. In order to study the effe cts of nIFN beta on melanoma, the growth inhibition effect of nIFN bet a was assessed in vitro using the melanoma cell lines, MM8.1, MM28, MM 33.1, Bowes and A375-2. The growth of these cell lines was inhibited b y nIFN beta. Incorporation of [H-3]thymidine and [H-3]uridine was also inhibited by nIFN beta in a dose-dependent manner. Apoptosis was demo nstrated using the TUNEL method in melanoma cell lines cocultured with nIFN beta. Results showed that nIFN beta had direct killer activity o n melanoma cell lines. (C) 1998 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.