Type III interferons prime neutrophils

Abstract

Fungal Infection Type I interferons (IFNs) have a well-established role in antiviral immunity. Espinosa et al. found that type III IFNs (IFN-λs) play an essential role in driving antifungal responses. They studied immune responses to Aspergillus fumigatus in mice lacking receptors for type I or type III IFNs. Monocyte-derived type I IFNs were key drivers of IFN-λ production. Although the authors could not pin down the sources of IFN-λs, they identified neutrophils as the functional target of IFN-λs. Selective deletion of IFN-λ receptor in neutrophils caused mice to succumb to Aspergillus fumigatus infection. Sci. Immunol. 2 , eaan5357 (2017).