Ben Hale

In a new article with Kevin Groen, we review the most recent scientific developments relating to autoantibodies targeting type I interferons and their impacts on severe viral disease:
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...

Increased prevalence of #autoantibodies neutralizing IFNλ2/3 in young individuals with #CysticFibrosis. New report from Kevin Groen, Emanuela Bruscia, Marc Emmenegger, Benjamin Hale @benhale.bsky.social and colleagues: rupress.org/jhi/article/...

#Autoimmunity #Infections

Happy to join @jem.org as an Associate Editor for 2026 and to contribute to the journal’s publishing process and community!

Groen, @benhale.bsky.social et al. @virology.uzh.ch identify interferon-λ #autoantibodies in 11.8% of those with #CysticFibrosis, a prevalence >10-fold higher than expected. In vitro & clinical analyses suggest the antibodies may impact mucosal pathology. rupress.org/jhi/article/...

Type I interferon autoantibody footprints reveal neutralizing mechanisms and allow inhibitory decoy design. From Kevin Groen, Benjamin Hale (@benhale.bsky.social) and colleagues 👉 rupress.org/jem/article/...
📘 Part of 2025: The Year in Experimental Medicine rupress.org/jem/collecti...

#Autoimmunity

Nice to see our study led by Kevin Groen included in the 2025 ‘Best of JEM’. We dissected the mechanisms by which pathogenic autoantibodies block IFN-I function and used the information to design decoy molecules that might form the basis for future therapies.

rupress.org/jem/article/...

Avian-origin influenza A viruses tolerate elevated pyrexic temperatures in mammals Host body temperature can define a virus’s replicative profile—influenza A viruses (IAVs) adapted to 40° to 42°C in birds are less temperature sensitive in vitro compared with human isolates adapted t...

How does fever work?

Our new Science paper shows how elevated body temperature can protect against severe influenza and that avian-origin viruses escape this defence.

This is likely one reason why bird flus and some pandemic influenzas can be so severe.🧵

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

I very much enjoyed my time in St Andrews, Scotland as a PhD student. If I was still considered an Early-Career Researcher just starting my own laboratory (in my head, I am!), I would certainly be interested in this fellowship opportunity...

Thank-you @casanovalab.bsky.social for the kind invitation to be a participant at your celebratory Novo Nordisk Prize Symposium. I appreciated being able to present alongside a great array of leading researchers, & to meet so many welcoming people in the field of Inborn Errors of Immunity! Congrats!

TRIM28 is a target for paramyxovirus V proteins Author summary Host recognition of viral nucleic acids is fundamental for stimulating antiviral immunity. To prevent aberrant immune activation, cells must precisely differentiate “non-self” from “sel...

'TRIM28 is a target for paramyxovirus V proteins'. Work led by Gauthier Lieber seeks to address whether host activation of endogenous retroelements contributes to antiviral defences. In support of this idea, he describes a viral mechanism that might limit this host response.
doi.org/10.1371/jour...

Regulated localization of transposable element #RNA during #influenza A #virus #infection.

-> www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

Regulated localization of transposable element RNA during influenza A virus infection | EMBO reports imageimageInfluenza A virus infection increases host transposable element (TE) expression. This study provides evidence that some infection-induced TEs form double-stranded RNAs that accumulate in the...

Now in press: Marie Lork & our collaborators studied host transposable elements during influenza A virus infection. We found evidence that some produce dsRNA, but that these host dsRNAs are limited from reaching the cytosol by the viral NS1 protein. @emboreports.org
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

A nice photo from last week’s ’Celebration of 50 years of Virology’ in St Andrews - marking a milestone in the distinguished career of Rick Randall - a great virologist, colleague and friend - congratulations Rick!

It's a great idea to involve those interested in IFNs at different levels (not just molecular/infections, but also cancer community, clinicians and those using IFNs as treatments etc). Would love to do a similar thing in ZH - will be a lot to learn from the different perspectives. Good luck with it!

Disappointed to miss out as a non-Heidelbergian! Sounds like a great meeting to bring together all your local Interferon friends!

Anti-interferon autoantibodies are always on my mind....even at Easter!

Type I interferon autoantibody footprints reveal neutralizing mechanisms and allow inhibitory decoy design. New study from Kevin Groen, Benjamin Hale (@benhale.bsky.social) and colleagues @virology.uzh.ch: rupress.org/jem/article/...

#Autoimmunity #Immunodeficiency #InfectiousDisease

An atlas of protein phosphorylation dynamics during interferon signaling @benhale.bsky.social
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

A follow up on @benhale.bsky.social and colleagues' research published in @jem.org : How "decoy molecules" intercept harmful auto-antibodies, restoring antiviral immunity.
www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/...

AutoAbs neutralizing IFN-Is exacerbate severe viral diseases. Groen, @benhale.bsky.social et al. @virology.uzh.ch identify IFN-I regions commonly targeted by these autoAbs and develop a proof-of-concept decoy strategy to alleviate pathogenic effects. rupress.org/jem/article/...

Interferon research has a long history at the University of Zurich, Switzerland.

Charles Weissmann, Professor of Molecular Biology, led the group that first cloned interferon genes. This allowed large-scale production and facilitated the medical use of interferon.

@uzh-ch.bsky.social

Highly sensitive reporter cell line for detection of interferon types I–III and their neutralization by antibodies Interferons (IFNs) are a critical component of innate immune defenses and limit viral disease severity. To advance studies on IFNs and their neutralization by pathogenic autoantibodies, we generated ...

In our most recent work, Kevin Groen from the lab made AIR cells for rapid & sensitive functional detection of interferon types I, II & III. AIR cells can be used with a live cell luciferase substrate, are highly sensitive & can detect autoantibodies neutralising interferons.
doi.org/10.1002/eji....

Proximal protein landscapes of the type I interferon signaling cascade reveal negative regulation by PJA2 - Nature Communications Type I IFN is vital for antiviral defense. Here, the authors use TurboID-based proximity labeling to comprehensively map the protein landscapes surrounding core IFN signaling members. Among factors un...

Congratulations to Samira Schiefer from the lab whose use of proximity proteomics to comprehensively survey and characterise the type I interferon signalling pathway has just been published. Many new associations found.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...