Interferon-Beta for Glomerulonephritis?

Interferon beta (IFN) is used in the therapy of multiple sclerosis (MS), which develops from the activation of autoreactive T lymphocytes against peptides of myelin basic protein. IFN was demonstrated to have beneficial effects in experimental models of glomerulonephritis (GN), such as decreasing proteinuria via Il-10 release. T helper (Th-1) lymphocyte responses are reduced, the actions of metalloproteinase (MMP9) are suppressed, and the functions of regulatory T cells are promoted. In concept, IFNI3 therapy might be beneficial in patients with life threatening forms of GN, such as Goodpastures syndrome or vasculitis. Further research is warranted to study the effect of IFN on GN in clinical settings.