IFITM3

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IFITM3 is a human protein produced by the IFITM3 gene. It plays a key role in the immune defense by blocking viruses from entering cells. When IFITM3 levels are high, viral levels tend to stay low; removing IFITM3 can allow viruses to multiply more easily.

In flu research, a specific genetic change in IFITM3 (a single nucleotide polymorphism, or SNP) has been linked to a higher risk of severe influenza. A study led by Paul Kellam found that this IFITM3 SNP is more common among people hospitalized with pandemic H1N1 flu, and it is thought to occur in about 1 in 400 people of European descent.