As TNFα and IFNαβ correlate well with disease severity in both clinical and experimental IV infection and are potent immunomodulators, known to be upstream of proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine secretion from many cell types, multiple studies have proposed treatment with these cytokines to promote viral clearance, or blockade of these cytokines to minimize host mediated tissue damage 12, 15, 94–101. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is infection.