A first in front-line immunity research

Monash University researchers have gained new insight into the early stages of our immune response, providing novel pathways to develop treatments for diseases from multiple sclerosis to cancer. In a study published today in Nature Immunology, a team of researchers led by Professor Paul Hertzog, of the Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR) and Professor Jamie Rossjohn, of the School of Biomedical Sciences, have characterised for the first time how interferon beta (IFNβ) proteins bind to cells and activate an immune response. Produced when viral and bacterial infections are detected, interferon proteins are vital to the body’s defences. They activate immune cells, such as macrophages, can interfere with virus replication, and can boost cells’ resilience to infection. They also enhance later immune responses to cancers and other stresses. There are at least 20 subtypes of interferons that are produced at different stages of the immune response. They appear to have different functions, but...