Bethesda, Maryland–(ENEWSPF)–January 19, 2011. Scientists have made an unanticipated discovery in mice that interferon-gamma, a type of protein primarily used by the immune system for intercellular communication, acts as a promoter for the deadly form of skin cancer known as melanoma. This finding resulted from a series of experiments designed to understand how solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes melanoma. The results of this study suggest that interferon-gamma, which has been thought to contribute to an innate defense system against cancer, under some circumstances may promote melanoma and incite the development of tumors. The work, led by researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, appeared online in Nature, Jan. 19, 2011.
