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Updated: Jan 9, 2026

High-throughput Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Assay for Determining Expression Profiles of Types I and III Interferon Subtypes
Published on: March 24, 2015
Type I interferons in tuberculosis pathogenesis and prevention
Caden W Munson1, Deepak Kaushal1
1Host-Pathogen Interactions Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA; Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), San Antonio, TX, USA.
Abstract:
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) remains an epidemiological concern due to heterogeneous outcomes in tuberculosis (TB) pathology and the lack of mechanistic understanding of early immune events. Type I interferons (IFNs) in TB are generally described as pathological. However, evidence also suggests a protective role in vaccination and adjunctive to chemotherapy. Understanding Type I IFN signaling in Mtb-host interactions is therefore critical as it is among the earliest signatures of progressive infection. Crosstalk between Type I and II IFN signaling during TB may also be key to disease outcome. This review explores our current understanding of the role of Type I IFNs in Mtb infection and vaccination and offers the IFN type switching model, among others, to explain the duality of IFNs' function in TB.
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