[Review of the recent advances on interferon and interferon therapy].

Interferon is a glycoprotein that has antiviral activity. Recently, important advances have been obtained about it's purification, pharmacological effects and side effects and spectrum. It's clinical applications have increased in the treatment the viral and tumoral diseases. It is been reported that the good results have been obtained in the treatment of varicella zoster and other herpetic viruses, cytomegalovirus Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis B virus infections and in the viral infection of the respiratory tracts. In this article, the recently advances about interferon and it's use in the treatment of viral infections have been reviewed.