Interferon-inducible transmembrane (IFITM) proteins restrict the replication of certain pathogenic viruses, but no role was known for these proteins in vivo. Everitt et al. now report that IP1TM3 is essential for protecting mice infected with influenza viruses from severe viral pneumonia. They further find that a small subset of individuals hospitalized for pandemic H1N1/09 and seasonal influenza virus infection carried a variant of IFITM3 with reduced antiviral activity.
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