ArticleNature communications2017
Zinc is a potent and specific inhibitor of IFN-λ3 signalling.
Article in Nature communications, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 56 citations in OpenAlex.
- Relationship between transforming growth factor-β1 and type 2 diabetic nephropathy risk in Chinese population.BMC medical genetics · 2018Pooled it
- Trial
- Transcriptomic profiling reveals selective attenuation of interferon-associated inflammatory signaling and induction of metallothioneins by a zinc-containing oral rinse.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Determining the Redox Potential of a Protein Disulfide Bond.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2026Article
- Metal Ion Signaling in Biomedicine.Chemical reviews · 2025Review
- Hepatic zinc deficiency dampens the acute phase response in patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Article
- Metallothioneins in the Pathogenesis of Liver Diseases: A Review.International journal of hepatology · 2025Review
- Identification of iron metabolism-related key genes and exploration of their potential mechanisms in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis based on transcriptome sequencing.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Cellular zinc metabolism and zinc signaling: from biological functions to diseases and therapeutic targets.Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2024Review
- The two-stage molecular scenery of SARS-CoV-2 infection with implications to disease severity: An in-silico quest.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Article
- Antiviral activity of zinc against hepatitis viruses: current status and future prospects.Frontiers in microbiology · 2023Review
- Virus-host interaction networks as new antiviral drug targets for IAV and SARS-CoV-2.Emerging microbes & infections · 2022Article
- Review
- Zinc and Respiratory Viral Infections: Important Trace Element in Anti-viral Response and Immune Regulation.Biological trace element research · 2022Review
- Free Zinc as a Predictive Marker for COVID-19 Mortality Risk.Nutrients · 2022Article
- Development of Therapeutic and Prophylactic Zinc Compositions for Use against COVID-19: A Glimpse of the Trends, Inventions, and Patents.Nutrients · 2022Review
- Dengue virus replication enhances labile zinc pools by modulation of ZIP8.Cellular microbiology · 2021Article
- IL28B rs12979860 polymorphism and zinc supplementation affect treatment outcome and liver fibrosis after direct-acting antiviral hepatitis C therapy.Journal, genetic engineering & biotechnology · 2021Article
- A secondary approach with conventional medicines and supplements to recuperate current COVID-19 status.Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 2021Review
- To zinc or not to zinc for COVID-19 prophylaxis or treatment?Journal of medical microbiology · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Lambda interferons (IFNL, IFN-λ) are pro-inflammatory cytokines important in acute and chronic viral infection. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms rs12979860 and rs8099917 within the IFNL gene locus predict hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance, as well as inflammation and fibrosis progression in viral and non-viral liver disease. The underlying mechanism, however, is not defined. Here we show that the rs12979860 CC genotype correlates with increased hepatic metallothionein expression through increased systemic zinc levels. Zinc interferes with IFN-λ3 binding to IFNL receptor 1 (IFNLR1), resulting in decreased antiviral activity and increased viral replication (HCV, influenza) in vitro. HCV patients with high zinc levels have low hepatocyte antiviral and inflammatory gene expression and high viral loads, confirming the inhibitory role of zinc in vivo. We provide the first evidence that zinc can act as a potent and specific inhibitor of IFN-λ3 signalling and highlight its potential as a target of therapeutic intervention for IFN-λ3-mediated chronic disease.
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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.