title: Constitutive antiviral immunity at the expense of autoimmunity.
abstract: In this issue of Immunity, Funabiki et al. (2014) have identified in mice a mutation of the IFIH1 gene, encoding the viral receptor MDA5 that causes constitutive IFN production and fatal autoimmune disease. The authors show that the autoimmune disease-associated variant of human MDA5 is permanently switched on.
authors.affiliation: JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Department of Medical Genetics, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK. Electronic address: john.todd@cimr.cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Todd
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072640:Interferon-Induced Helicase, IFIH1
chemical_list: C510592:Ifih1 protein, mouse; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000072640:Interferon-Induced Helicase, IFIH1