"The great promise of interferon as an antiviral agent was evident from the moment of its discovery."
Dr. Sidney Pestka
In 1969 research scientist and physician Dr. Sidney Pestka [b. 1936) started research into a protein called interferon, which he knew was involved in the immune system's response to viruses, bacteria, allergens, and even cancer. Pestka wanted to know its role and whether it could be used to create an antiviral drug.
Interferon is a very rare protein (so potent that only a very small amount is needed to cause a large response) and it proved very difficult to get enough of a pure sample to experiment with, Pestka eventually refined a method called reverse phase high- performance liquid chromatography, which allowed for the purification of interferon in large enough quantities to study its mechanism of action. He found that interferon, secreted by human cells when they are under attack, works in two ways. First, it signals to neighboring cells to trigger their resistance mechanisms, and second, it switches on immune cells that kill invading pathogens.
In 1975 Pestka used newly emerging recombinant DNA technology to clone interferon, and by the early 1980s it was being used in clinical trials to boost immune responses. He published his findings in 1983, and his new antiviral drug was granted FDA approval in 1986. Pestka's pioneering achievement has since given birth to a multi-billion-dollar industry.
