Fig. 3
From: The intersection of COVID-19 and cancer: signaling pathways and treatment implications
Type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling in cancer and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). IFN-I plays a key role in inhibiting tumor proliferation and promoting tumor cell senescence and death, whereas impaired IFN-I signaling is associated with tumor progression. In early severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, IFN-I signaling is dampened, while IFN-I responses may aggravate unfavorable inflammation and the progression of severe COVID-19. IFN-Is include IFNα and IFNβ, which signal through binding to the common receptor IFNR (homodimer of IFNAR1 and IFNAR2). Then, JAKs are activated to initiate signal transduction via STATs. STATs, along with IRF9, enter the nucleus, leading to the activation of a multitude of interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). IFN-I-based therapies for cancer and COVID-19 are shown