Type 1 IFN produced by pDCs has beneficial roles in host immunity to viral infections (9, 10), but it is also implicated in the pathogenesis of certain types of autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (11, 12), especially through an aberrant TLR7 activation (13, 14). The gene discussed is TLR7; the disease is viral infectious disease.