Type I interferons (IFNs) are used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions including hepatitis C, cancers, viral and inflammatory diseases.  IFNs can either be extracted from a natural source, such as cultured human cells or blood leukocytes, or they can be manufactured with recombinant DNA technologies.  Most of these IFN treatments have a low response rate.
The use of viral transformation of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been recommended to create personalized IFNs.  In this process, primary B lymphocytes are transformed with EBV.  These cells can then be used to produce IFNs specific for the patient from which the B lymphocytes were extracted.  This personalization decreases the likelihood of an antibody response and therefore increases the effectiveness of the treatment.