Identifying SOCS5 as a protective regulator of influenza infection and the subsequent hyper-inflammatory response in airway epithelium, offers the potential to target either SOCS5 itself (enhancing SOCS5 expression or using mimetics) or SOCS5 interacting proteins such as PI3K, to reduce the damaging inflammation that is characteristic of severe influenza and chronic respiratory diseases. The gene discussed is SOCS5; the disease is influenza.