A provocative aspect of the present work is that the MUC1-C-induced MUC1-C→U-ISGF3 inflammatory response is linked to induction of A3s as an adaptation to viral infections, but could also represent a maladaptation to treatment of cancer cells with agents that contribute to viral mimicry and auto-activation of the IFN type I pathway [59]. Here, IRF9 is linked to viral infectious disease.