AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma: Is there still a role for interferon alfa?

Interferon alfa (IFNα) was one of the first agents to be used therapeutically in AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) more than 25 years ago, and induces tumor regression in a subset of patients. Although much has been learned about the clinical role of IFNα in KS treatment, little is currently known about the mechanism(s) by which IFNα causes KS regression. This is despite a growing understanding of both KS pathogenesis and relevant IFNα activities. To a large extent other agents have supplanted IFNα as treatments for KS, but there may still remain a therapeutic role for IFNα, possibly in combination with other agents targeting angiogenesis and/or HHV-8-encoded human gene homologs that encode proteins involved in cell cycle regulation and signaling.