Interferon: Protection of Cells Infected with an Intracellular Protozoan ( <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> )

Abstract

Chick and mouse cell monolayers treated with interferon were significantly protected from destruction by toxoplasma. The results suggest that fewer numbers of organisms were released from interferon-treated cells. Interferons were uniformly more active in a viral assay than in a toxoplasma assay, and they had the same properties in both assays. The data suggest that interferon activity may be directed against organisms phylogenetically higher than viruses.