Jacobs L, Johnson K P
Department of Neurology, University at Buffalo, NY.
Arch Neurol. 1994 Dec;51(12):1245-52. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1994.00540240089022.
Interferons (IFNs) are a family of glycoproteins that are naturally secreted by certain cells in response to viral infection. The naturally occurring IFNs confer protection on other cells, preventing them from becoming infected, a phenomenon referred to as "virus interference" by Isaacs and Lindenmann in the first description of these proteins. In addition to their antiviral properties, the IFNs also have complex immunomodulatory, antiproliferative, and hormonelike activities, which are not completely understood.
干扰素（IFNs）是一类糖蛋白，由某些细胞在受到病毒感染时自然分泌。天然存在的干扰素能保护其他细胞，防止它们被感染，这一现象在这些蛋白质首次被描述时，被艾萨克斯和林登曼称为“病毒干扰”。除了具有抗病毒特性外，干扰素还具有复杂的免疫调节、抗增殖和类似激素的活性，其作用机制尚未完全明确。
