Interferons are an ancient and well-conserved group of inflammatory cytokines most famous
for their role in viral immunity. A decade ago, we discovered that interferons also play an
important role in the biology of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are responsible for
lifelong blood production. Though we have learned a great deal about the role of interferons
on HSC quiescence, differentiation, and self-renewal, there remains some controversy
regarding how interferons impact these stem cells, with differing conclusions depending on …