The role of interferon in the thymus

Ryan J Martinez; Kristin A Hogquist

doi:10.1016/j.coi.2023.102389

The role of interferon in the thymus

Curr Opin Immunol. 2023 Oct:84:102389. doi: 10.1016/j.coi.2023.102389. Epub 2023 Sep 20.

Authors

Ryan J Martinez¹, Kristin A Hogquist²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
² Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. Electronic address: hogqu001@umn.edu.

PMID: 37738858
PMCID: PMC10543640 (available on 2024-10-01)
DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2023.102389

Abstract

Interferons (IFNs) are a family of proteins that are generated in response to viral infection and induce an antiviral response in many cell types. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that patients with inborn errors of type-I IFN immunity were more prone to severe infections, but also found that many patients with severe COVID-19 had anti-IFN autoantibodies that led to acquired defects in type-I IFN immunity. These findings revealed the previously unappreciated finding that central immune tolerance to IFN is essential to immune health. Further evidence has also highlighted the importance of IFN within the thymus and its impact on T-cell development. This review will highlight what is known of IFN's role in T-cell development, T-cell central tolerance, and the impact of IFN on the thymus.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Humans
Interferon Type I*
Interferons
Pandemics
Thymus Gland
Virus Diseases*

Substances

Interferons
Interferon Type I

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding