Combining radiotherapy with interferons; back to the future

Radiotherapy has been linked to the induction of an intratumoral type I interferon (IFN) response which positively impacts response to treatment. This has linked the immunomodulatory effects of interferons to an increased radiotherapy efficacy which has spiked the interest to combine radiotherapy with IFN-based treatment. Interestingly, this combination treatment has been considered previously, based on preclinical studies demonstrating a radiosensitizing effects of interferons. As a result, multiple clinical trials have been performed combining radiotherapy with interferons in different tumor types.
Source: International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics - Category: Radiology Authors: Source Type: research