Cell-to-cell transfer of interferon-induced antiproliferative activity.

Interferon-treated cells rapidly and efficiently transferred the antiproliferative activity of interferon to untreated cells. This phenomenon was not due to the carry-over of interferon by the interferon-treated cells. Thus, to evoke an antiproliferative state, interferon did not directly contact each cell in a population. The results suggest a novel mechanism by which interferon may indirectly regulate cell growth, and suggests that cells other than those of the immune system may play a role in controlling tumor growth in tissue where cell-to-cell contact occurs.