Interferon beta Simoa

Interferon beta (IFN-?) belongs to the family of type I interferons sharing approximately 35% sequence homology to the interferon-alpha gene family.? IFN-? is produced and released by nearly all cell types to stimulate the human anti-microbial response. The biological effects of IFN-? are mediated through binding to a heterodimeric transmembrane IFN-a/? receptor to activate JAK1 and TYK2 which leads to phosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT2 and transcription of several hundred IFN-regulated genes. In addition to antiviral and antimicrobial properties, type I interferons are known to play important roles against tumor development, and IFN-? has been tested in several clinical trials for the treatment of melanoma and colorectal cancer. Unlike other autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have lower levels of circulating type I IFNs, and IFN-? is a widely used immunomodulatory agent approved by the FDA as first-line therapy for the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS. Sensitive assays to detect endogenous levels of IFN-? may help with future research targeting type I interferon pathways in various diseases.

Swiss-Prot Accession Number: P01574