Newly identified functions for innate immune molecule fights viruses while reducing harmful inflammation: Study

A naturally occurring protein can help the immune system fight viral infections while also reducing the damaging inflammation that often accompanies them, a new study from McMaster University has found.

Published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation on Oct. 15, 2026, the study examined interferon lambda (IFN-λ), part of the body's natural antiviral defence system. Researchers found that the protein helps control viral infections, lowers levels of inflammatory molecules linked to tissue damage, and strengthens important immune responses.

Researchers wanted to determine whether IFN-λ does more than simply fight viruses. This question is important because treatments that boost antiviral immunity can also increase inflammation, which in some cases can worsen disease.

The study found that IFN-λ may help strike a better balance. Rather than simply acting as an antiviral defence, the protein appears to help regulate the immune response, enabling the body to mount an effective and controlled defence against infection.

While the findings are promising, researchers stress that more work is needed to determine whether the same immune mechanisms operate in people and how the findings might eventually be translated into future therapies.

Interested in the study? Available for interview:

Senior author Ali Ashkar can be reached at ashkara@mcmaster.ca.

For all other inquiries, contact Adam Ward, media relations officer with McMaster’s Faculty of Health Sciences, at warda17@mcmaster.ca.

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