Abstract
Interferon tau has been described as a cytokine associated with the pregnancy recognition signal in ruminants. It is structurally and functionally related to type I interferons and binds to the same receptor, but unlike other interferons, it is not inducible by viruses. Interferon tau is less toxic in vitro and in vivo than interferon alpha and Interferon beta even at high concentrations and displays high species cross-reactivity. This review describes the properties of Interferon tau and its applications in health. We emphasize the antiviral, antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory properties of interferon tau, as well as its effects in mitigating diabetes, obesity, autoimmune diseases, and anti-cancer. Therefore, interferon tau has great potential as a promising therapeutic agent with low cytotoxicity particularly for the treatment of infections and chronic diseases, cancer, and autoimmune disorders with application in health.