To determine if IL-3 protects from viral infections during the immunosuppressive phase of sepsis, we designed a mouse model of poly-microbial sepsis (34) in which wild-type (WT) and Il-3-/- mice were subjected to sub-lethal caecal ligation and puncture (CLP), followed by intranasal (i.n.)HSV-1 administration 7 days after CLP (Figure 2A). The gene discussed is IL3; the disease is Sepsis.