Previously, we have reported that high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a proinflammatory mediator in sepsis, is released via the IFN-β-mediated JAK/STAT pathway. However, detailed mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we dissected upstream signaling pathways of HMGB1 release using various molecular biology methods. Here, we found that calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase...

The contributions of IFN regulatory factor (IRF) 3/7 and the type I IFNs IFN-α/β to the innate host defense have been extensively investigated; however, their role in thymic development is less clear. In this study, we show that mice lacking the type I IFN receptor IFN-α/β receptor (IFNAR) or the downstream transcription factor STAT1 harbor a significant reduction in self-Ag-presenting, autoimm...

Impaired interferon (IFN) production has been observed in various obstructive respiratory diseases. This contributes to enhanced sensitivity towards viral infections triggering acute exacerbations. To compensate for this impaired host IFN response, there is need to explore new therapeutic strategies, like exogenous administration of IFNs as prophylactic treatment. In the present study, we exami...

UNLABELLED Most of the intracellular pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) reside in either the endolysosome or the cytoplasm to sense pathogen-derived RNAs, DNAs, or synthetic analogs of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), such as poly(I:C). However, it remains elusive whether or not a pathogen-derived protein can function as a cytosolic pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP). In this study, we ...

Although type I interferons (IFNs) were first described almost 60 years ago, the ability to monitor and modulate the functional activities of the individual IFN subtypes that comprise this family has been hindered by a lack of reagents. The major type I IFNs, IFN-β and the multiple subtypes of IFN-α, are expressed widely and induce their effects on cells by interacting with a shared heterodimer...

HSV-2 is the major cause of genital herpes, and its infection increases the risk of HIV-1 acquisition and transmission. After initial infection, HSV-2 can establish latency within the nervous system and thus maintains lifelong infection in humans. It has been suggested that HSV-2 can inhibit type I IFN signaling, but the underlying mechanism has yet to be determined. In this study, we demonstra...

Human interferon (IFN) β has well established beneficial effects in treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, but current first-line treatment requires frequent (from daily to weekly) parenteral administration. A 20-kDa polyethylene glycol (PEG)-conjugated IFN β-1a (PEG-IFN β-1a) is being developed to decrease the frequency of administration and improve patient convenience and compliance....

It has been documented that interferon (IFN)-β is effective against the genesis of atherosclerosis or hyperplastic arterial disease in animal model. The main mechanism of the efficacy was antiproliferative action on the growth of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC). To understand more about the mechanisms that are responsible for the efficacy, we examined minutely the effects of IFN-β on the apo...

The effects of interferon-beta (IFN-β), one of the key immunotherapies used in multiple sclerosis (MS), on peripheral blood leukocytes and T cells have been extensively studied. B cells are a less abundant leukocyte type, and accordingly less is known about the B cell-specific response to IFN-β. To identify gene expression changes and pathways induced by IFN-β in B cells, we studied the in vitr...

We previously reported that the IFN-β secreted by Chlamydia muridarum-infected murine oviduct epithelial cells (OE cells) was mostly dependent on the TLR3 signaling pathway. To further characterize the mechanisms of IFN-β synthesis during Chlamydia infection of OE cells in vitro, we utilized specific inhibitory drugs to clarify the roles of IRF3 and NF-κB on both early- and late-phase C. murida...