This theory is supported by the significantly reduced production of IL-6 by AMs from aged mice following ex vivo stimulation with the TLR7/8 agonist R848, an impairment that was reported alongside a down-regulation of TLR8 gene expression and a reduced induction of genes related to IL-6 signaling in lung tissue from aged mice following viral infection (240). Here, IL6 is linked to viral infectious disease.