ABSTRACT
Domenico Valle, Laura De Marinis, Antonio Mancini, Lucia Puglisi, Gian Lodovico Rapaccini, and Giovanni Gasbarrini Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy
I. INTRODUCTION A. Interferons Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by cells of the immune system, in response to definite stimuli, that are involved in defense against the viral infections and in the modulation of the immune response. At least three types of such proteins exist, respectively produced by fibroblasts (IFN-13; I) leukocytes (IFN-a; 2), and T lymphocytes (IFN-y; 3). The IFNs inhibit viral replication, promoting synthesis of both cellular ribonucleases, which inactivate the viral RNA, and protein kinases, which block protein synthesis (4). Other biological functions of IFNs are known: the antiproliferative and the hormone-like activity, which affect the cellular maturation as well as the cellular cycle.
