Interferon beta (IFN-beta), also known as fibroblast IFN, is a secreted, approximately 22 kDa member of the type I interferon family of molecules [1]. Mature human IFN-beta shares 47% and 46% amino acid sequence identity with the mouse and rat proteins, respectively. Fibroblasts are the major producers of IFN-beta, but it can also be produced by dendritic cells, macrophages, and endothelial cells in response to pathogen exposure [2]. It is trans -criptionally regulated by TRAF3, IRF3, IRF7, and NF-kappa B [3]. Following secretion, IFN-beta signals through the heterodimeric IFN-alpha / beta Receptor and activates the JAK/STAT signaling pathway [4-7]. IFN-beta -deficient mice show increased susceptibility to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a disease model of human multiple sclerosis (MS) [8]. Furthermore, IFN-beta has been shown to suppress the Th17 cell response in both MS and EAE and has commonly been used as a treatment for MS [9-13].
Reference
[1]. González-Navajas, J.M. et al. (2012) Nat. Rev. Immunol. 12:125.
[2]. Reder, A.T. and X. Feng (2013) Front. Immunol. 4:281.
[3]. Schafer, S.L. et al. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273:2714.
[4]. Honda, K. et al. (2006) Nat. Rev. Immunol. 6:644.
[5]. Platanias, L.C. (2005) Nat. Rev. Immunol. 5:375.
[6]. Fasler-Kan, E. et al. (1998) Eur. J. Biochem. 254:514.
[7]. Matikainen, S. et al. (1999) Blood 93:1980.
[8]. Teige, I. et al. (2003) J. Immunol. 170:4776.
[9]. Shinohara, M.L. et al. (2008) Immunity 29:68.
[10]. Guo, B. et al. (2008) J. Clin. Invest. 118:1680.
[11]. Ramgolam, V.S. and S. Markovic-Plese (2010) Endocr. Metab.
[12]. Martín-Saavedra, F.M. et al. (2008) Mol. Immunol. 45:4008.
[13]. Inoue M. and M.L. Shinohara (2013) Immunology 139:11.
