Oral Use of Interferon

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Abstract
Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) given orally has biological activity in humans and other animals. The dose providing the most benefit delivers IFN-alpha to the oral mucosa in a concentration (10 2-10 3 IU), similar to that naturally produced in the nasal secretions during respiratory infections. In contrast, conventional IFN therapy employs parenteral doses of >10 6 IU and, for this reason, orally administered IFN therapies have been called low-dose treatments. Efficacy in both animal disease models and human studies has been reported, and the mechanisms whereby oral administration has a systemic effect are under active study in a number of laboratories.