Here's help to kill that craving. A group of cytokine proteins with antiviral properties, capable of enhancing and modifying the immune response. Interferon is released to coat uninfected cells so that they don't become infected.
Some interferons induce antiviral activity, others enhance the immune response.
IFNalpha is produced by virus-infected monocytes and lymphocytes . IFNgamma is produced by stimulated T and NK cells . IFNgamma increases MHC II expression, activates macrophages , neutrophils and NK cells as well as activating vascular endothelium, promoting T and B cell differentiation and increasing IL1 and IL2 synthesis. All IFNs induce cell growth, activate CTL and NK cells as well as increasing MHC I expression. IFNalpha and beta bind to the same receptor while IFNgamma binds to another.