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Published Online: 12 January 2011

Systems Biology of Interferon Responses

Publication: Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research
Volume 31, Issue Number 1

Abstract

The interferons (IFNs) are a pleiotropic family of cytokines that perform fundamental functions in protecting host organisms from disease and in maintaining homeostasis. Like other multifunctional cytokines, excessive or inappropriate activity can cause toxicity and even death. Therefore, host organisms have evolved specific and highly regulated mechanisms to control the temporal and tissue specificity of production of IFNs and the selection of pathways and genes to be activated as the effectors of the IFN response in cells. There are now numerous microarray datasets available to enable a “global” analysis of the genes involved in the IFN response. This article describes the INTERFEROME database, which assimilates the available expression profiling data and its contents and enables the definition of IFN-regulated genes, discovery of pathways, regulatory networks, and tissue specificities of the IFN response.

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cover image Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research
Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research
Volume 31Issue Number 1January 2011
Pages: 5 - 11
PubMed: 21226606

History

Published online: 12 January 2011
Published in print: January 2011
Accepted: 8 September 2010
Received: 8 September 2010

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Paul Hertzog
Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Sam Forster
Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Shamith Samarajiwa
*
Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

Notes

Address correspondence to:Prof. Paul HertzogCentre for Innate Immunity and Infectious DiseasesMonash Institute of Medical Research27-31 Wright St.ClaytonVictoria 3168Australia
E-mail: [email protected]

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No competing financial interests exist.

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