Sunday, February 22, 2009

Oncostatin M- as antiviral (viral Hepatitis) and anti cancer agent ?


Oncostatin M, is a pleitropic cytokine that belongs to the Interleukin 6 group of cytokines. Of these cytokines it most closely resembles Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in both structure and function. And this has been establisehd now Dr. Jesús Prieto. And not only Oncostatin M, has anticancer activity, it has got antiviral (Viral Hepatitis) activity also.

Explaination given by the researcher is interesting and has significant too.

When organisms suffer a viral infection, dendritic cells (natural proteins produced as a response of the immune system to foreign agents) release type I interferon. The researchers of the CIMA observed that dendritic cells also produced Oncostatin M. "What was remarkable was the evidence that Oncostatin improved the effect of interferon in inhibiting the replication of viruses as well as noticeably increasing the antiviral response of the immune system.

These findings suggest that the combination of both molecules may be useful for treating viral diseases that do not respond to isolated treatment with interferon, something which occurs in patients with viral B or C chronic hepatitis. "In addition, it is possible that this combination could be effective for designing strategies against different tumor processes in which conventional therapy is unsuccessful.

Source : http://www.basqueresearch.com/berria_irakurri.asp?hizk=I&Berri_Kod=2072

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