ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION Interferons (IFNs) are a family of proteins that appear in a large variety of vertebrates, from fish to Homo sapiens. Interferons were initially characterized for their ability to "interfere" with viral replication (1). They are cytokines and comprise a complex family of endogenous proteins and glycoproteins, (1-6). In vivo IFN is produced at a constant low "physiological" level that must be maintained for correct immune function to occur (4).
