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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

High-throughput Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Assay for Determining Expression Profiles of Types I and III Interferon Subtypes
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Published on: March 24, 2015

Immunologic effects of interferon

J Knop1

  • 1Department of Dermatology, University of Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology
|December 1, 1990
PubMed

Interferons can be defined as a family of induced proteins sharing the capacity to exert pleiotropic effects on cell functions and to render cells resistant to virus infection. They are activating genes coding for a number of enzymes, most of which have not yet been characterized, and also by enhancing the synthesis of cell surface components. This enables interferons to modulate the immune response at different levels. This article will focus on the effects of interferon on antigen presentation, regulation of the immune response, activation of macrophage functions, and on its role in the pathogenesis of some diseases.

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