Patent ID: 7537755

Claim:
A method for reducing the number of copies of a virus in cells infected with the virus, the method comprising: administering an interferon-alpha polypeptide to the cells in an amount effective to reduce the number of copies of the virus in the cells, thereby reducing the number of copies of the virus in said cells, wherein the interferon-alpha polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence selected from (i) a sequence which differs in 0 to 8 amino acid positions from SEQ ID NO:13 and comprises Ala or Leu at position 48, optionally further comprising a methionine at the N-terminus; (ii) a sequence which differs in 0 to 8 amino acid positions from SEQ ID NO:38 and comprises Ala or Leu at position 48, optionally further comprising a methionine at the N-terminus; (iii) the sequence SEQ ID NO:38 or the sequence of a variant thereof wherein the variant differs in 1 to 2 amino acid positions from SEQ ID NO:38, optionally further comprising a methionine at the N-terminus; and (iv) the sequence SEQ ID NO:39 or the sequence of a variant thereof wherein the variant differs in 1 to 3 amino acid positions from SEQ ID NO:39, optionally further comprising a methionine at the N-terminus; wherein the polypeptide exhibits antiviral activity.