The Use of Recombinant Feline Interferon Omega Therapy as an Immune-Modulator in Cats Naturally Infected with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: New Perspectives
by
Rodolfo Oliveira Leal 1,* and Solange Gil 2
Rodolfo Oliveira Leal 1,* and Solange Gil 2
1
Centre Hospitalier Vétérinaire Fregis, 43 Av. Aristide Briand, Arcueil 94110, France
2
Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), Faculdade de Medicina, Veterinária, University of Lisbon (ULisbon), Av. Universidade Técnica, Lisbon 1300-477, Portugal
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editors: Rick Meeker and Jonathan Fogle
Vet. Sci. 2016, 3(4), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci3040032
Received: 28 July 2016 / Revised: 18 October 2016 / Accepted: 25 October 2016 / Published: 27 October 2016
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comparative Studies on HIV and FIV in Animals and Humans)
Type I interferons (IFNs) are well-known cytokines that, among their main functions, are key components of the host immune response against viral infections. Due to its immune modulation properties, they are commonly used in the therapeutic approach of various retroviral infections, namely human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). In HIV infection, it has been shown that IFN therapy limits early viral replication, particularly useful on post-exposure prophylaxis. In veterinary medicine, recombinant feline interferon omega (rFeIFN-ω) was the first interferon licensed for use in cats. Several studies have recently shown that this compound seems to stimulate the innate immunity, decreasing clinical signs and co-infections in naturally FIV-infected cats. More than summarizing the main conclusions about rFeIFN-ω in cats, this review emphasizes the immune-modulation properties of IFN therapy, opening new perspectives for its use in retroviral infections. Either in FIV-infected cats or in HIV individuals, type I IFNs seem to induce an innate immune-modulation and should not be overlooked as a therapeutic option in retroviral infections.
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Keywords:
feline; interferon therapy; recombinant-feline interferon omega; immune modulation; feline immunodeficiency virus
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
MDPI and ACS Style
Leal, R.O.; Gil, S. The Use of Recombinant Feline Interferon Omega Therapy as an Immune-Modulator in Cats Naturally Infected with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: New Perspectives. Vet. Sci. 2016, 3, 32.
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