Reversibility of the transformed and neoplastic phenotype. I. Progressive reversion of the phenotype of X-ray-transformed C3H/10T1/2 cells under prolonged treatment with interferon.

X-ray transformed mouse C3H/10T1/2 cells were cultivated and passaged in the continuous presence of partially purified mouse interferon. This prolonged interferon treatment resulted in a stepwise progressive reversion of the transformed phenotype to the non-transformed phenotype. Thus interferon-treated cells displayed an epithelioid morphology, grew to a lower cell density, and were no longer tumorigenic. Reversion to the non-transformed phenotype was, however, stable only as long as interferon was continuously present in the culture medium. When interferon was removed, the cells "back reverted" to the transformed phenotype. Our results suggest that interferon induced a reversion of the transformed phenotype in the entire cell population rather than a selection of an interferon resistant cell population. C-type viral particles and significant levels of reverse transcriptase were present in transformed cells, but neither present in the parental 10T1/2 cells nor in interferon-treated cells. When interferon was removed form the culture medium, viral particles and reverse transcriptase activity were again detected. It is possible, therefore, that interferon induces reversion through its antiviral activity, or that it induces reversion by its effects on cell function and structure, independently of any antiviral effect. Inhibition of cell multiplication per se does no appear to be sufficient to induce reversion, since cycloheximide inhibited cell multiplication; however, even after ten passages, it did not affect tumorigenicity. Our results suggest the possibility that interferon may act in vivo not only by inhibiting tumor cell multiplication but also by inducing a reversion. Patients with some tumors may therefore benefit from long-term interferon treatment.