Interferon Alfa-N3

**Semantic type:** Amino Acid, Peptide, or Protein|Pharmacologic Substance

**Definition:** A formulated therapeutic analog of the endogenous alpha interferon containing multiple interferon species with antiviral and antitumor properties. Interferons bind to specific cell-surface receptors, leading to the transcription and translation of genes with an interferon-specific response element, thereby inducing: antiviral effects (the most important being inhibition of viral protein synthesis); antiproliferative effects (including inhibition of cellular growth and alteration of cellular differentiation); anticancer effects (including interference with oncogene expression); and immune-modulating effects (including activation of natural killer cells, alteration of cell surface antigen expression, and augmentation of lymphocyte and macrophage cytotoxicity). (NCI04)

**Synonyms:** - Alfa-N3 Interferon - Alferon N - Altemol - INTERFERON ALFA-N3 - Interferon Alfa-3N, Human Leukocyte Derived