IFNA2: The prototypic human alpha interferon

• Published in: Gene Vol. 567; no. 2; pp. 132 - 137
• Main Authors: Paul, Franciane, Pellegrini, Sandra, Uzé, Gilles
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 10.08.2015; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Cytokine; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Immunology; Interferon α2; Interferon-alpha; Interferon-alpha - chemistry; Interferon-alpha - physiology; Life Sciences; Protein Binding; Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta; Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta - metabolism; Signal Transduction; Type I interferon; PRD-LE; VRE; MHC; USP18; SVR; IFN; NF-κB; TBK1; PI3K; Type I interferon; mTOR; cDNA; CpG; TLR; ISG; HBV; ISGF3; Interferon α2; ATF-2; CML; DAA; VEGF; IFNAR; Cytokine; IKK; PKC; MAPK; AGS; pDC; ssRNA; NMR; STAT; PEG; RCC; TKI; JAK; Kd; HCV; IRF; NK; DC; ERK; ISRE
• ISSN: 0378-1119; 1879-0038
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.04.087

The human interferon α2 (IFNα2) was the first highly active IFN subtype to be cloned in the early eighties. It was also the first IFN and the first cytokine to be produced and commercialized by the pharmaceutical industry. Ipso facto it became the favorite IFNα subtype for academic researchers. For this fortunate reason IFNα2 has been at the origin of most discoveries related to the mechanism of action of type I interferons. •IFNA2 was one of the first type I interferon gene cloned in the 1980's.•IFNα2 is one of the most potent interferon α.•IFNα2 is the interferon α subtype used in the clinic.•Its gene structure, expression, signaling and biological functions are reviewed