STAT activation during viral infection in vivo: where's the interferon?
In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, O'Gorman et al. (2010) identify a key role for early TLR2-mediated IL-6 production and STAT3 activation in generating protective immunity against poxviruses. These findings highlight the importance of early inflammatory cytokine production in antiviral defense and have implications for enhancing vaccination efficacy.
Ivashkiv
Lionel B
LB
Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA. ivashkivl@hss.edu