Cytokine receptors encoded by poxviruses: a lesson in cytokine biology.

Poxviruses encode soluble versions of cytokine receptors, which are secreted from the infected cell to block the activity of the cognate cytokine. These viruses offer a unique model system to study the contribution of cytokines to the host response against infection. As discussed here by Antonio Alcamí and Geoffrey Smith, characterization of poxvirus proteins that counteract the immune response may lead to the identification of novel cytokines or cytokine receptors, as well as novel strategies to modulate the inflammatory response.