Specificity
This antibody recognises human interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7), a ~54 kDa transcriptional activator of type I interferons (IFNalpha/beta) in response to local and systemic viral infection. IRF7 is mostly expressed by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC), which differentiate in response to IFNs and virus infection. This then stabilizes the IRF7 protein, in turn leading to increased IFN production.Multiple IRF7 transcript variants have been identified, although their individual functions have not yet been established.