What is an Interferon?
An interferon is a protein produced by the body’s immune system in response to an infection. Interferons are part of a larger group of proteins known as cytokines, and they are made by cells such as leukocytes, T-cells, and fibroblasts. In addition to being made naturally in the body, interferon can also be produced in laboratories for the purpose of medical treatment, and several pharmaceutical companies have versions of interferon on the market. There are three types of interferon: Type I, Type II, and Type III. These types are divided by the types of cells they interact with, how they are produced, and what they do. Type I interferons include subclassifications known as alpha, beta, kappa, delta, epsilon, tau, omega, and zeta. The Type II interferons include interferon-gamma, made by the T-cells, while the Type III category consists of several versions of interferon-lambda. The Type III classification is not accepted by all members of the medical community. When the body detects the
Interferon is a protein released by many cells in the body in response to various stimuli. There are two classes of interferons. Type I interferons are proteins that are produced in the body in response to a viral infection. In fact, these interferons are an individual’s first defense: when the virus reaches other cells, it protects them from infection. When an individual has an infection with influenza virus, the headaches, chills, fever, muscle pain, aches are actually due to the production of interferon. You might say that when you start getting some of these symptoms, you should be grateful because you have something actually attacking the infection. Human interferons that are classified as the Type I are the interferon-alphas, of which there are 12, the interferon-beta and the interferon-omega. The Type II interferon is involved in controlling immune functions in the body and is not produced by viral infection. Interferon-gamma is the only Type II interferon.
