Genetic control of the interferon system.

Now that some studies have been done on the genetics of the human interferon system, it would appear that the primary constraint to interferon research imposed by the lack of human interferon can be overcome as indicated herein with mutagenized human cell lines containing multiple copies of chromosome 5. Purified interferon from these mutants has allowed us to label it radioactively. However the amount required for a complete amino acid and sugar sequence of human interferon is still very large but within the realm of possibility when the use of these mutant cell lines is considered (23, 24).