ArticlePLoS pathogens2008
IFN-lambda (IFN-lambda) is expressed in a tissue-dependent fashion and primarily acts on epithelial cells in vivo.
Article in PLoS pathogens, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 481 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
481 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 760 citations in OpenAlex.
- An Update on the Pathogenesis of Skin Damage in Lupus.Current rheumatology reports · 2020Pooled it
- Peginterferon Lambda-1a for treatment of outpatients with uncomplicated COVID-19: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.Nature communications · 2021Trial
- IFN-λ fine tunes protective immunity during mucosal viral infection.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2026Article
- Interferon-λ inhibits immunopathology and boosts T cell-mediated immunity in a mouse model of mucosal viral infection.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2026Article
- One virus-many strategies: type-specific interactions between human adenoviruses and innate immunity.Journal of virology · 2026Review
- Two novel kindreds with autosomal recessive STAT2 deficiency.Journal of human immunity · 2026Article
- Interferon-λ drives renal fibrosis by coordinating epithelial-fibroblast crosstalk.The Journal of experimental medicine · 2026Article
- Type I and III interferon responses restrict infection by tick-borne orthoflaviviruses through IFI6.Journal of virology · 2026Article
- Low-Dose Radiation Sensitizes Human Nasal Epithelium to Viral Inflammation despite Preserved Structural Integrity.International archives of allergy and immunology · 2026Article
- Interferon lambda in anti-viral defense and cancer: dual roles, mechanism and therapeutic potential.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Review
- Tenofovir, Interferon Pathways, and Mucosal Immunity: Implications for People Living With HIV.American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2026Review
- Review
- IFN-λ4 Exhibits Differential Induction and Antiviral Activity in RSV and HMPV Infections.Viruses · 2026Article
- Basal IFNλ2/3 signaling is required for ISG expression and viral control in human intestinal epithelial cells.PLoS pathogens · 2026Article
- Interferon regulatory factors: the next prospective targets for tissue ischemia-reperfusion injury?Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Interplay between flaviviruses and the interferon response: mechanisms of immune evasion and therapeutic implications.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Unraveling the Biology of Interferon-Stimulated Genes: Mechanisms, Functions, and Clinical Implications.Infection and drug resistance · 2026Review
- Interferon-λ-neutralizing autoantibodies and common autoimmune disease autoantibodies in pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Computational Design and Glycoengineering of Interferon-Lambda for Nasal Prophylaxis Against Respiratory Viruses.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Mechanisms of Differential Signal Transduction by Interferon Lambda Receptor 1 Variants.Journal of innate immunity · 2026Article
421 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Interferons (IFN) exert antiviral, immunomodulatory and cytostatic activities. IFN-alpha/beta (type I IFN) and IFN-lambda (type III IFN) bind distinct receptors, but regulate similar sets of genes and exhibit strikingly similar biological activities. We analyzed to what extent the IFN-alpha/beta and IFN-lambda systems overlap in vivo in terms of expression and response. We observed a certain degree of tissue specificity in the production of IFN-lambda. In the brain, IFN-alpha/beta was readily produced after infection with various RNA viruses, whereas expression of IFN-lambda was low in this organ. In the liver, virus infection induced the expression of both IFN-alpha/beta and IFN-lambda genes. Plasmid electrotransfer-mediated in vivo expression of individual IFN genes allowed the tissue and cell specificities of the responses to systemic IFN-alpha/beta and IFN-lambda to be compared. The response to IFN-lambda correlated with expression of the alpha subunit of the IFN-lambda receptor (IL-28R alpha). The IFN-lambda response was prominent in the stomach, intestine and lungs, but very low in the central nervous system and spleen. At the cellular level, the response to IFN-lambda in kidney and brain was restricted to epithelial cells. In contrast, the response to IFN-alpha/beta was observed in various cell types in these organs, and was most prominent in endothelial cells. Thus, the IFN-lambda system probably evolved to specifically protect epithelia. IFN-lambda might contribute to the prevention of viral invasion through skin and mucosal surfaces.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.