IFNA1 and cancer: These preliminary studies had both positive and negative consequences: That interferons might be potential anticancer drugs led to widespread, unwarranted expectations of them being a general cure for cancer; on the positive side, however, interest in finding better sources for a potential wonder drug, led directly to the cloning of genes for IFN-α [17], and later, for the genes for IFNs -β and -γ [18,19].