IRF7 and infection: Later studies showed that upon infection, metalloprotease gp63 from L. major parasites activates the translational repressor 4E-BP1 that presumably dampens type-I IFN production through the repression of IRF7 expression19,20, In contrast, IFN-β has been shown to impair the production of superoxide mediated parasite killing in L. amazonensis and L. braziliensis infections of human macrophages21.