In addition, IFI16 is reported as a TRIM21 downstream and DNA sensor to activate STING-dependent type-I IFN signalling24, we thus investigated the interaction between TRIM21 and IFI16 in NPC cells, and surprisingly found that TRIM21 did not interact with IFI16 (Supplementary Fig. 2d). Here, IFI16 is linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma.