IFNG and infection: IFN-γ is recognized as a key player in cellular immunity; it can orchestrate many protective functions to enhance immune responses in infections.29 Jones-Carson et al demonstrated that IFN-γ is protective against UTIs; they found that IFN-γ-knockout C57BL/6 mice compared to wild type mice were more likely to develop a UTI30; however, an acute/chronic inflammatory state can be damaging to tissues and organs.31