The Role of Interferon in Immunity and Prophylaxis

The term interferon (IFN) was first used by Isaacs and Lindenmann in 1957 to describe a factor, present in the supernatant of cultured chick chorioallantoic membranes previously injected with heat-inactivated influenza virus, that could render fresh chick membranes resistant to challenge with live virus. Since that time, studies performed in many laboratories have not only confirmed this phenomenon, but have greatly expanded our understanding of the IFN family of proteins and their role in viral infections. Moreover, a number of clinical trials have suggested that IFNs may be of use in the prophylaxis and therapy of herpesvirus infections. We will discuss the role of IFNs in the biological response to herpesviruses and review the trials addressing their clinical utility.