Patent ID: 7138379

Claim:
A method for enhancing type I IFN growth inhibition of a human tumor target cell population possessing functional interferon alpha receptor 2c (IFNAR2c) polypeptide chains, said method comprises the steps of: (a) introducing an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a human IFNAR2c polypeptide chain directly into cells of said human tumor target cell population to produce modified target cells, wherein the modified target cells possess an increased number of functional IFNAR2c polypeptide chains on their cell surface as compared with unmodified target cells, and (b) contacting the modified target cells with a therapeutically effective amount of a human type I IFN, wherein the growth inhibition in the presence of the therapeutically effective amount of a human type I IFN for the modified target cells is enhanced as compared with unmodified target cells.