There is accumulating evidence to suggest that lifetime exposure to infectious diseases influences human lifespan (Finch and Crimmins 2004; Christensen et al. 2006); however, the role of IGF1R in innate immunity in mammals has remained unclear, despite its influence on longevity in humans (Bonafè et al. 2003; Kojima et al. 2004; Suh et al. 2008) and mice (Holzenberger et al. 2003). Here, IGF1R is linked to infectious disease.