Conversely, in a context of intact TLR sensing and secretion of IL-12 by MDCs, where T cell exhaustion is less severe as exemplified by preservation of CD107a mobilization, IFNs may prove more effective because they can remove the abundance of immunosuppressive signals (PD-1/PD-L1, CTLA-4 etc.), which would otherwise prevent expansion of pre-existing HCV-specific CD8+ T cells [13] capable of effectively controlling the infection [31], [32]. The gene discussed is CTLA4; the disease is infection.