In an effort to improve the therapeutic effect of a MAb-based regimen in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) patients, the effects of a combination of alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and mouse MAb17-1A was evaluated in 27 patients with metastatic disease. alpha-IFN was given s.c. once daily for 5 consecutive days and at days 4 and 5, 5-FU was administered as a daily i.v. bolus injection.
This finding provides an experimental basis for possible clinical therapy using retrovirus-mediated IFN-alpha gene transfer alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs for treatment of colorectal cancer.