interferon beta; IFN-beta; fibroblast interferon (IFNB1, IFB, IFNB)

Function

• antiviral, antibacterial & anticancer activities

Structure

• monomer
• belongs to the alpha/beta interferon family

Compartment

secreted

Pharmacology

• available under the names Avonex (Biogen), Betaseron (Berlex) & Rebif (Serono)
• used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Betaseron is a slightly modified form of IFNB1 with two residue substitutions

Laboratory

• interferon beta in serum/plasma
• interferon beta Ab in serum/plasma
  • interferon beta IgG in serum/plasma

More general terms

• interferon

More specific terms

• interferon [IFN]-beta 1A (Avonex)
• interferon [IFN]-beta 1B (betaseron, Extavia)
• interleukin-6; IL-6; B-cell stimulatory factor 2; BSF-2; CTL differentiation factor; CDF; hybridoma growth factor; interferon beta-2; IFN-beta-2 (IL6, IFNB2)

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=3456
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:3456
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/147640
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P01574.html