The Interferon System

I. Introduction.- A. An Historical Perspective.- B. An Overview of the Interferon System.- C. The Interferon System in vivo.- II. Interferon Assays.- A. General Considerations.- B. Dose-Response Relationships.- C. Assay Methods.- D. Factors Influencing Interferon Assays.- E. Choice of an Assay System.- F. Reference Interferons and Standard Interferons.- III. Interferon Inducers.- A. Animal Viral Inducers.- B. Non-Viral Inducers of Interferons.- C. Inferferon (?) Inducers.- D. Uninduced (Spontaneous) Interferons.- IV. Induction Mechanisms.- A. The Interferon Induction-Production Curve.- B. Mechanism of Induction by Viruses.- C. Alternative Induction Mechanism Hypotheses.- V. The Genetics of Interferon Production.- A. Hybrid-Cell Analyses of Interferon Production.- B. Chromosomal Assignments for Interferon Production in Aneuploid Cells.- C. Epigenetic Complications of Assessing Genetic Contributions to Interferon Production.- D. Genetics of Interferon Production in vivo.- VI. Interferon Production.- A. Interferon Production at the Cellular and Molecular Level.- B. Interferon Production at the Organism Level.- C. Mass Production of Interferons.- VII. Interferons: Their Purification and Characterization.- A. Defining Interferons.- B. Purification of Interferons.- C. Characterization of Interferons.- VIII. The Genetics of Interferon Action.- A. Hybrid-Cell Analyses of Interferon Action.- B. Chromosomal Assignments for Interferon Actions in Aneuploid Cells.- C. Role of Chromosome 21 in Interferon Actions: Interferon Binding.- D. Epigenetic Complications to Assessing Genetic Contributions to Interferon Actions.- IX. Mechanisms of Antiviral Acfions of Interferons.- A. General Considerations of Antiviral Actions of Interferons.- B. Antiviral Mechanisms: Sites of Interferon Actions Against Viruses.- C. An Oversimplified Summation of Interferon-Induced Antiviral Actions.- X. Non-Antiviral Actions of Interferons.- A. The Breadth of Interferon Action: The Expanding Realm of Interferonology.- B. Inhibition of Non-Viral Agents.- C. Priming.- D. Blocking.- E. Cell-Multiplication-Inhibition.- F. Toxicity Enhancement.- G. Enhanced Synthetic Activities.- H. Surface Alterations In du ced by Interferons.- I. Enhanced Immunolysis.- J. Enhancement of Phagocytosis.- K. Macrophage "Activation".- L. Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity-Inhibition.- M. Graft-vs-Host Reactions: Effects of Interferon on Transplantation.- N. Effects of Interferon on Antibody Production.- XI. Pharmacokinetics of Interferons.- A. Distribution of Interferon.- B. Metabolism of Interferons.- C. Effective Interferon Levels.- XII. Antiviral Actions of Interferons in Animals.- A. Natural Recovery Processes From Viral Infections.- B. Antiviral Studies With Interferons and Interferon Inducers in Animals.- XIII. Antitumor Activities of Interferons in Animals.- A. Activities Against Virally-Induced Tumors.- B. Activities Against Transplantable Tumors.- C. Activities Against Chemically- and Radiation-Induced Tumors.- D. Mechanisms of Antitumor Activities of Interferons.- XIV. Interferon in the Clinic.- A. Preliminary Testing of Interferons: Therpeutic-Index of Interferon?.- B. Antiviral Activities of Interferons in Man.- C. Cancer Therapy With Interferon.- XV. Prelude to the Interferon System.- Acknowledgements.- References.- Appendix to the References.