Interferon-α Induces G1 Cell-Cycle Arrest in Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells Via Activation of Jak-Stat Signaling

The purpose of this study was to clarify the mechanism of IFN-alpha resistance in RCC. The effects of IFN-alpha on induction of apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest were analyzed by flow cytometric analysis. Jak-Stat pathway components induced by IFN-alpha was evaluated using Western blotting. The results suggested that IFN-alpha caused growth inhibition of RCC cell lines via arrest in the G1 phase without inducing apoptosis. The resistance of RCC to IFN-alpha was associated with the low expression of Stat1. This study indicated that the Jak-Stat pathway should be considered a primary target for improving the response of RCC to IFN-alpha treatment.