Abstract
It has been well-established that type I interferons (IFN-Is) have pleiotropic effects and play an early central role in the control of many acute viral infections. However, their pleiotropic effects are not always beneficial to the host and in fact several reports suggest that the induction of IFN-Is exacerbate disease outcomes against some bacterial and chronic viral infections. In this brief review, we probe into this mystery and try to develop answers based on past and recent studies evaluating the roles of IFN-Is in infection and immunity as this is vital for developing effective IFN-Is based therapeutics and vaccines. We also discuss the biological roles of an emerging IFN-I, namely IFN-ε, and discuss its potential use as a mucosal therapeutic and/or vaccine adjuvant. Overall, we anticipate the discussions generated in this review will provide new insights for better exploiting the biological functions of IFN-Is in developing efficacious therapeutics and vaccines in the future.
Highlights
Since the initial discovery of type I interferons (IFN-Is) as antiviral agents [1], these cytokines have been extensively studied for their anti-microbial and immune regulatory properties
Since our initial studies characterizing the roles of IFN-ε in inducing antiviral states on cells [109], we have found that this cytokine possesses potent immune regulatory capacity
IFN-ε’s ability to enhance CD8+ T cell homing to the gut [gut is the primary site of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) virus replication and CD4+ T-cell depletion [119]] and its ability to control infections at the lung mucosae suggest that administration of pegylated forms of IFN-ε or vaccines encoding IFN-ε could be effective for controlling mucosal pathogens such as HIV-1
Summary
Since the initial discovery of type I interferons (IFN-Is) as antiviral agents [1], these cytokines have been extensively studied for their anti-microbial and immune regulatory properties. It has been well-established that type I interferons (IFN-Is) have pleiotropic effects and play an early central role in the control of many acute viral infections. Their pleiotropic effects are not always beneficial to the host and several reports suggest that the induction of IFN-Is exacerbate disease outcomes against some bacterial and chronic viral infections.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
