Interferon Alpha 2-Thymosin Alpha 1 Fusion Protein (Ifn Alpha 2-T Alpha 1): A Genetically Engineered Fusion Protein With Enhanced Anticancer And Antiviral Effect

Human interferon alpha 2 (IFN alpha 2) and thymosin alpha 1 (T alpha 1) are therapeutic proteins used for the treatment of viral infections and different types of cancer. Both IFN alpha 2 and T alpha 1 show a synergic effect in their activities when used in combination. Furthermore, the therapeutic fusion proteins produced through the genetic fusion of two genes can exhibit several therapeutic functions in one molecule. In this study, we determined the anticancer and antiviral effect of human interferon alpha 2-thymosin alpha 1 fusion protein (IFN alpha 2-T alpha 1) produced in our laboratory for the first time. The cytotoxic and genotoxic effect of IFN alpha 2-T alpha 1 was evaluated in HepG2 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The in vitro assays confirmed that IFN alpha 2-T alpha 1 inhibited the growth of cells more effectively than IFN alpha 2 alone and showed an elevated genotoxic effect. The expression of proapoptotic genes was also significantly enhanced in IFN alpha 2-T alpha 1-treated cells compared to IFN alpha 2-treated cells. Furthermore, the HCV RNA level was significantly reduced in IFN alpha 2-T alpha 1-treated HCV-infected Huh7 cells compared to IFN alpha 2-treated cells. The quantitative PCR analysis showed that the expression of various genes, the products of which inhibit HCV replication, was significantly enhanced in IFN alpha 2-T alpha 1-treated cells compared to IFN alpha 2-treated cells. Our findings demonstrate that IFN alpha 2-T alpha 1 is more effective than single IFN alpha 2 as an anticancer and antiviral agent.