The IRF family, revisited

Since the discovery of interferon 50 years ago a great deal of progress has been made in understanding how interferons work and how and why they are induced. Key factors in interferon induction are the interferon regulatory factors (IRF). In this review of IRF we aim to show you not only the historical side of the IRF but also the integral, anti-viral and hematopoetic roles of these transcription factors, as well as the sometimes surprising and even forgotten roles that these proteins play, not only in interferon signaling but throughout the immune system and the body as a whole. Further research will no doubt expand the repertoire of these multifunctional proteins even more.