Human interferon - biological properties

Human interferon was discovered in 1957 by two scientists Isaacs and Lindemann. Thanks to this discovery, a new mechanism for protecting human cells from viral infections was established. Heat-inactivated influenza virus authors were incubated on a chicken embryo, homogenized by the CAM, and found that the supernatant suppressed the growth of the active virus on the CIR. The factor that was in the homogenate was called interferon, and its only biological property for many years was considered anti-viral protection. It has been established that the cells of various tissues of man and animals serve as interferon producers. Its formation is induced by viruses, somewhat less by bacteria, pathogenic fungi, protozoa, the influence of mitogens, synthetic polymers. Leukocytes are able to induce the synthesis of interferon as early as 3-4 hours after the virus is incubated.

It should be noted that the phenomenon of interference of viruses is known for a long time. It is based on the possibility of protecting a person against the action of a virulent virus with the help of factors of nonspecific resistance, if at the same time or earlier a less dangerous virus gets into the same organism. Something similar, that is, the phenomenon of interference is observed among pathogens of bacterial origin in the process of their interaction. It is established that one type of infectious agent can suppress reproduction of another species and thus change the course of the infectious process caused by it. It is proved that when a person or animals get infected with brucellosis, they develop immunity to anthrax bacilli. Interference between brucella and tularemia bacteria is described. There is reason to believe that with the interference of bacteria an inhibitor is produced blocking sensitive cells in the macroorganism, which creates unfavorable conditions for the existence of one of the competing pathogens.

According to modern data, there are three types of interferon (gamma-immune, fibroblast beta and alpha-leukocyte interferon), which differ in origin, physical and biological signs. It should be said that interference between viruses is carried out with the participation of a special inhibitor, which is synthesized by the cells of the infected organism.

It is proved that human interferon is a group of related biologically active peptides that are formed in cells after stimulation by various inducers. The concentration of interferon, which is able to suppress the biological activity of various viruses in the body, fluctuates quite strongly. The most sensitive to the action of interferon are viruses that have an outer membrane and lipid components (myxoviruses, arboviruses, smallpox viruses), whereas picornaviruses and adenoviruses lack outer shell and are more resistant to this factor. However, there are exceptions, when viruses that have this shell, show increased resistance to the action of interferon (herpes viruses).

Human Interferon

The main stimulus for its formation is considered by many to be the penetration of a nucleic acid foreign to the cell, which disrupts the normal genetic balance of cells of different groups. For vertebrate cells, the nucleic acids of viruses serve as the stimulus, although other nucleic acids can serve as inducers of interferon. Among the components of microbial cells that are characterized by an interferon effect, endotoxins of gram-negative bacteria, as well as lipopolysaccharides and polysaccharides, in particular pyrogenal, prodigiosans play an important role. Human interferon is actively produced when exposed to RNA-containing phages and viruses, which are well protected against the inhibitory effect of ribonucleases.

As for the properties of interferon, unlike known inhibitors that directly affect viruses, it affects them through sensitive cells, giving them resistance to viral reproduction. In order for interferon to be able to manifest an antiviral effect, sensitive cells must have an undisturbed synthesis of cellular RNA and cellular proteins.

Recently, "Interferon human recombinant alpha 2" is designated as an antiviral agent . The mechanism of antiviral action is associated with the creation of protective mechanisms in noninfected viral cells. This changes the properties of cell membranes, which prevents the penetration of the virus into the cell.

The biological properties of interferon include species specificity, which means selective manifestation of activity in the organism of its homologous form. For example, interferon produced by cells of a chicken embryo can not protect rodents or other mammals, and interferon produced by human leukocytes has no activity in the animals. This property is not absolute and, in some cases, an interferon of a heterologous origin may exhibit activity in another organism.