Qin et al (2001) also reported that IFN-β gene therapy induced direct antitumour activity and an immunological effect of NK cells against human glioblastoma. However, IFN-β protein showed less of an antiproliferative effect against pancreatic cancer cells than did IFN-α (unpublished data). Although the type 1 IFNs, the α-family and β, share receptor components, they were observed to have differences in their receptor binding and signalling (Abramovich et al, 1994a, 1994b), which may explain their different antitumour activities. This evidence concerns the gene IFNB1 and familial pancreatic carcinoma.