Regarding the lung, the differentiated Calu-3 cell line [when cultured at the air-liquid interface (ALI)] is the model of choice: in that set-up, SARS-CoV infection triggered an inflammatory response characterized by increased production of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, gamma interferon (IFN-γ), inducible protein 10 (IP-10), and activation of the transcription factor NF-κB (56). Here, IFNG is linked to severe acute respiratory syndrome.