IFNG and infection: When Plasmodium infection occurs, dendritic cells, macrophages, and natural killer (NK) cells—key components of the innate immune system—are activated, leading to the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which help control the infection and promote adaptive immune responses [4,5].