To gain further insight into the role of these genes during HCMV infection, we measured virus production in HCMV-infected HFFs after siRNA-mediated depletion of Mx1 or IFIT1—the latter having been shown to exert antiviral activity against HCMV only in fetal astrocytes upon lentiviral overexpression30. The gene discussed is IFIT1; the disease is cytomegalovirus infection.