Interferon alpha (IFN-α) is a 21.5 kDa cytokine belonging to the type I interferon family, crucial for innate immunity and antiviral defense mechanisms. There are multiple subtypes of IFN-α, each encoded by a distinct gene. In humans, the IFN-α family consists of at least 13 subtypes, including IFN-α1, IFN-α2, IFN-α4, IFN-α5, IFN-α6, IFN-α7, IFN-α8, IFN-α10, IFN-α14, IFN-α16, IFN-α17, and IFN-α21 (more variants have been reported). Typically produced by leukocytes, IFN-α plays an important role in modulating the body’s response against viral infections and tumor cells.
Upon secretion, IFN-α binds to the IFN-α/β, initiating a cascade of signaling events that lead to the expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). These ISGs encode proteins that inhibit viral replication, enhance the immune system’s ability to detect infected cells, and activate immune cells like natural killer cells and macrophages. Physiologically, IFN-α is vital in the innate immune response, providing an early defense mechanism against viral infections.
Download our fact sheet to learn more.
Related Posts
Building Custom High-Plex Biomarker Panels
Scale Your Spatial Discoveries with Molecular Barcoding
Spatial Analysis
PhenoCode Molecular Barcoding Kit
Introducing the Metabolism Spike-in Module for IO60
Neurology
NfL Fact Sheet
Neurofilament light (NfL) has emerged in recent years as a blood-based biomarker with the potential to aid in the improvement of early diagnosis and patient care of neuro-axonal injury and…
Neurology
Cytokine 4-Plex Advantage PLUS Product Flyer
Ultra-Sensitive, Fully Automated Simoa® Cytokine 4-Plex Advantage PLUS Assays Three panels, 11 essential cytokine biomarkers, femtogram sensitivity With Simoa® ultra-sensitive protein quantification, the cutting-edge Advantage PLUS assay platform, and full…
PhenoCode Discovery Immune Activation and Proliferation Human Protein Module
Neurology
Brain-Derived Tau (BD-Tau) Fact Sheet
Brain-derived Tau (BD-Tau) is one of the latest additions to the growing neurology biomarker family that holds promise to improve the accuracy in the identification and staging of neurodegeneration in…