INTERFERON-BETA IS A POTENT PROMOTER OF NERVE GROWTH-FACTOR PRODUCTION BY ASTROCYTES

Recent clinical evidence has suggested that interferon-beta is efficac ious in the treatment of the demyelinating disease, multiple sclerosis , The mechanism of its efficacy remains unclear, and suggested modes o f action have focused on immune modulation. Nonimmune effects of inter feron-beta may also contribute to its efficacy, Given that astrocytes produce a range of neurotrophic factors, we examined the possibility t hat interferon-beta could increase the astrocytic production of nerve growth factor (NGF), which has been reported to cause oligodendrocytes to proliferate and to extend their processes; these phenotypes can im pact favorably on remyelination. When the recombinant form of mouse in terferon-beta was added to mouse astrocyte cultures, a dose-dependent increase in NGF mRNA was obtained. The 40-fold increase in NGF mRNA el icited by 1,000 U/ml interferon-beta was far more potent than that pro duced by other NGF-elevating agents in this study. In concordance, the protein for NGF was elevated by interferon-beta. The production of NG F by interferon-beta may be relevant to its clinical efficacy in multi ple sclerosis. Furthermore, we suggest the potential utility of interf eron-beta in Alzheimer's disease.