This document summarizes the early history and discovery of interferon through several key publications and events: - Dr. Alick Isaacs' 1957 publications in the Proceedings of the Royal Society first designated and studied "Interferon". - A 1980 Nature paper reported the successful cloning and expression of interferon in E.coli, producing a polypeptide with human interferon activity. - A 1986 Time Magazine article marked the first approval of interferon to commercially treat Hepatitis C, representing the first recombinant cytokine used clinically.

1. Papers Reporting the Discovery of Interferon
Proc. Royal Soc. London 147:258-267, 1957 Proc. Royal Soc. London 147:268-273, 1957

2. Dr. Alick Isaacs -1957

3. First designation of “Interferon” from Isaacs notebook

4. I N V I T A T I O N
Jean Lindenmann Symposium
September 27, 2004
to celebrate and honour
Jean Lindenmann’s 80th Birthday
We cordially invite you to attend this celebration
Otto Haller Peter Staeheli
Abteilung Virologie
Institut für Med. Mikrobiologie und Hygiene
UNIVERSITÄTSKLINIKUM FREIBURG

5. Plaque assay
used to measure
Interferon

6. Dr. Alick Isaacs and Dr. Sam Baron

7. Flash Gordon cartoon depicting “first” human use of Interferon circa early 1960s

8. Photo Courtesy of the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, UK

9. From: Glasgow, L.A. Interrelationships of interferon and immunity during viral infections.
J. Gen. Physiol. 56S: 212-226, 1980.

10. W.E. Stewart II, 'The Interferon System' Springer Verlag 1980

11. Nature. 1980 Mar 27;284(5754):316-20.
Synthesis in E. coli of a polypeptide with
human leukocyte interferon activity.
• Nagata S, Taira H, Hall A, Johnsrud L, Streuli M, Ecsodi J,
Boll W, Cantell K, Weissmann C.
Double-stranded cDNA prepared from the 12S fraction
of poly(A) RNA from interferon (IF)-producing human
leukocytes was cloned in Escherichia coli using the
pBR322 vector. One of the resulting clones had a 910-
base pair insert which could hybridise to IF mRNA and
was responsible for the production of a polypeptide
with biological IF activity. Up to 10,000 units IF activity
per g of cells was obtained from some clones.

12. Copyright:Time Magazine

21. First Paper using Interferon to treat Hepatitis C

23. June 5 1986
CANCER DRUG WINS APPROVAL
FOR COMMERCIAL USE
IFN: FIRST RECOMBINANT
CYTOKINE

24. Original boxes Kari Cantell used to ship interferon