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Review
. 2023 Jun 14;24(12):10115.
doi: 10.3390/ijms241210115.

Immunomodulatory Role of Interferons in Viral and Bacterial Infections

Paulina Mertowska  1 , Konrad Smolak  1 , Sebastian Mertowski  1 , Ewelina Grywalska  1
Affiliations
Review

Immunomodulatory Role of Interferons in Viral and Bacterial Infections

Paulina Mertowska et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Interferons are a group of immunomodulatory substances produced by the human immune system in response to the presence of pathogens, especially during viral and bacterial infections. Their remarkably diverse mechanisms of action help the immune system fight infections by activating hundreds of genes involved in signal transduction pathways. In this review, we focus on discussing the interplay between the IFN system and seven medically important and challenging viruses (herpes simplex virus (HSV), influenza, hepatitis C virus (HCV), lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and SARS-CoV coronavirus) to highlight the diversity of viral strategies. In addition, the available data also suggest that IFNs play an important role in the course of bacterial infections. Research is currently underway to identify and elucidate the exact role of specific genes and effector pathways in generating the antimicrobial response mediated by IFNs. Despite the numerous studies on the role of interferons in antimicrobial responses, many interdisciplinary studies are still needed to understand and optimize their use in personalized therapeutics.

Keywords: Epstein–Barr virus; IFN-α; IFN-β; IFN-γ; SARS-CoV coronavirus; bacterial infections; hepatitis C virus; herpes simplex virus; immune system.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mechanisms of signaling in the cell by different types of interferons (based on [6,77]). IFN—interferon; IFNAR—IFNA receptor; IFNAR1—IFNα receptor 1; IFNAR2—IFNα receptor 2; IRF—regulatory factor; ISG—IFN stimulated gene; JAK-STAT—Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription; STAT1—signal transducer and activator of transcription 1; STAT2—signal transducer and activator of transcription 2; TYK2—tyrosine kinase 2; GAF—IFNγ activation factor; ISGF3—IFN-stimulated gene factor 3; IRF9—IFN-regulatory factor 9; ISRE—IFN-stimulated response elements; IFNGR—IFNγ receptor; IFNGR1—IFNγ receptor 1; IFNGR2—IFNγ receptor 2; IFNLR1—IFNλ receptor 1 (also known as IL-28Ra) and IL-10R2 (also known as IL-10Rβ); GAS—gamma-activated sequences; P—phosphorus.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Scheme of the antiviral effect of interferons in a cell (based on [55,96,97]).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effects of type I IFN signaling in bacterial infection (based on [18,262,263,264]).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Search strategy, study selection, and data extraction according to the PRISMA statement.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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