Human interferons alpha, beta and omega.

Type I interferons (IFNs), IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, IFN-omega, IFN-delta and IFN-tau are a family of structurally related, species-specific proteins found only in vertebrates. They exhibit a variety of biological functions, including antiviral, antiproliferative, immunomodulatory and developmental activities. Human Type I IFNs interact with the human IFN alpha receptor (IFNAR), which is composed of two identified subunits (IFNAR-1 and IFNAR-2). The interaction of IFN-alpha/beta with its receptor components results in the activation of a number of signaling pathways. The regulation of specific genes and proteins contributes to the numerous biological functions of Type I IFNs.