Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Development of an IFN-γ ELISpot Assay to Assess Varicella-Zoster Virus-specific Cell-mediated Immunity Following Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation
Published on: July 9, 2014
Production of immune and viral interferon by lymphocytes of newborn infants
Abstract:
The ability of lymphocytes from newborn infants to produce two types of interferon was compared with that of lymphocytes from older children and adults. Cord blood lymphocytes were as capable of producing both viral interferon (stable at pH 2.0) following stimulation with polyriboinosinic acid-polyribocytidilic acid and immune interferon (unstable at pH 2.0) following stimulation with phytohemagglutinin as lymphocytes from older individuals. In a mixture of mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cells, it was the former that produced the interferon. Interferon may be important in the defense mechanism of the newborn infant against viruses and other microbial agents.
Related Concept Videos
Introduction to Lymphatic and Immune System
The immune responses can be categorized into two types: innate and adaptive. Innate immunity comprises nonspecific defenses we are born...
Antimicrobial Proteins
Interferons
Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...
Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response
Development of Immunocompetence
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens
NK Cells
NK cells are a crucial part of our innate immune system, acting as the first line of defense against viral infections. These cells can recognize and kill infected cells without prior exposure to the virus, effectively slowing down the spread of infection. Additionally, NK cells produce proinflammatory...
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis

