Mutations of the human interferon alpha-2b (hIFNα-2b) gene in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy

This research aimed to find out the impact of ionizing radiations on the hIFN alpha-2b gene of radiotherapy treated cancer patients. The gene hIFN alpha-2b synthesizes a protein which is an important anticancerous and antiviral protein. The cancer patients (breast, lung, thyroid, oral and prostate) who were undergoing a radiotherapy treatment were selected. A molecular analysis was performed for DNA isolation and gene amplification through PCR, to identify gene mutations. Further, by bioinformatics tools we concluded that how mutations identified in gene sequences have led to the alterations in the hINF alpha-2b protein in radiotherapy receiving cancer patients. The 32% mutations in the hINF alpha-2b gene were identified and all were frameshift mutations. Radiotherapy can impact the immune system and cancer patients may modulate their immunity. Understaning the mechanisms of radiotherapy-elicited immune response may be helpful in the development of those therapeutic interventions that can enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy.