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Abstract
The significance of type I interferons (IFN-alpha/beta) in biology and medicine renders
research on their activities continuously relevant to our understanding of normal
and abnormal (auto) immune responses. This relevance is bolstered by discoveries that
unambiguously establish IFN-alpha/beta, among the multitude of cytokines, as dominant
in defining qualitative and quantitative characteristics of innate and adaptive immune
processes. Recent advances elucidating the biology of these key cytokines include
better definition of their complex signaling pathways, determination of their importance
in modifying the effects of other cytokines, the role of Toll-like receptors in their
induction, their major cellular producers, and their broad and diverse impact on both
cellular and humoral immune responses. Consequently, the role of IFN-alpha/beta in
the pathogenesis of autoimmunity remains at the forefront of scientific inquiry and
has begun to illuminate the mechanisms by which these molecules promote or inhibit
systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases.