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New advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms linking cell death and inflammation are discussed in the context of historical studies from the past two centuries.
The mechanisms underlying the antiviral activity of type I interferons (IFNs) are still unclear, but IFNα has long been used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC). While reviewing the history of IFNα-based CHC treatment, Markus H. Heim highlights the remaining questions and discusses the future challenges of IFN-based therapies.
The past 15 years have seen a breakthrough in the field of innate immunity. In this Timeline article, the authors discuss the early events that led to the identification of Toll-like receptors as the prototype pattern-recognition receptors that link innate and adaptive immune responses.
