To dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying the putative effects of IFN-α on human hippocampal neurogenesis, we here analyze the effect of 2 distinct concentrations of IFN-α (500 and 5000 pg/mL, similar to serum concentrations of patients receiving IFN-α for chronic viral hepatitis) (Bruno et al., 2004; Francois et al., 2010) on an immortalized human hippocampal progenitor cell line previously established as an in vitro model of human neurogenesis (Zunszain et al., 2012; Anacker et al., 2013a). This evidence concerns the gene IFNA1 and animal viral hepatitis.