During viral infections Interferon-α (IFN-α) is expressed by infected host cells. IFN-α binds to its receptor (IFNAR1/2), which leads to the activation of downstream signaling via JAK-STAT. This signaling cascade results in the expression of several hundred different genes, so called interferon-stimulated gene, which lead to an antiviral state of the infected and the neighboring cells.
Readers should cite both the Bio-protocol article and the original research article where this protocol was used:
Gibbert, K. (2013). IFN-α Inhibition Assay in vitro. Bio-protocol 3(12): e802. DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.802.
Gibbert, K., Joedicke, J. J., Meryk, A., Trilling, M., Francois, S., Duppach, J., Kraft, A., Lang, K. S. and Dittmer, U. (2012). Interferon-alpha subtype 11 activates NK cells and enables control of retroviral infection. PLoS Pathog 8(8): e1002868.