Therefore, it is possible that, at the later phase of chronic viral infection, exogenously administered IFN-I itself is not sufficient to induce an adequate level of IFN-I production for viral clearance because the production of IRF7 protein, the key player necessary for going through the IFN-I-mediated positive feedback signaling loop, would still be inhibited by OASL1 protein. The gene discussed is OASL; the disease is viral infectious disease.