IFNB1 and viral infectious disease: The IFN-I system is the host’s core defense mechanism against viral infections: studies have proven that Ifnar1−/− mice show a significantly increased susceptibility to lethal ZIKV infection (23), while exogenous IFN-β supplementation not only inhibits ZIKV replication in human vaginal/cervical epithelial cells but also mitigates ZIKV-induced neurotoxicity in brain organoids (14).