Type III interferons induce cccDNA degradation similar to type I interferons in HBV-infected HepaRG cells

Type III interferons (IFN-lambda 1,2 and 3 or IL-29, IL28a and IL-28b, respectively) and Type I interferons (IFN-alpha/beta) activate similar signaling cascades although via different receptors. While the IFN-alpha/beta receptor is ubiquitously expressed, the IFN-lambda receptor, which is a heterodimer consisting of IL-10 and IL-28 receptor subunits, is mainly expressed on epithelial cells. Despite the convergence of IFN-lambda signaling cascades with that of type I and II IFNs, the cytokine families are known to differ in their antiviral activities. In this study we therefore aimed at dissecting at which step I…