Interferon proteins are normally considered virus-fighters, but scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found evidence that one of them, interferon beta (IFNβ), has an immune-suppressing effect that can help some viruses establish persistent infections.
The results suggest that drugs blocking IFNβ might one day be used to treat persistent viral infections, which include HIV and hepatitis B and C infections.
“We found that IFNβ is important for the immunosuppressive effect seen in persistent infection, even though it signals through the same receptor used by IFNα proteins, which have very different effects”, said TSRI Professor Michael B. A. Oldstone, senior investigator of the study, which appears in the May 13, 2015 issue of Cell Host & Microbe.
