An Interferon Paradox.

The article discusses reports within the issue about the role of type 1 interferon (IFN) suppression in viral infections. Researchers J. R. Teijaro and team and E. B. Wilson and colleagues focused on the effect of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection (LCMV) in mouse models on IFN production. Both teams found that inhibition of IFN receptors promoted virus replication and decreased immunosuppressive molecule expression, but also increased CD4* T cell activity against the virus and lymphoid organization. It is suggested that interferon displays both antiviral and immunoregulatory functions during infection and that these activities could be targeted for therapeutic applications.