B18R Antibody [DyLight 550]

B18R is an IFN decoy receptor for type I IFNs encoded by the Vaccinia virus genome and by the genomes of other orthopoxviruses. It is known as B19R in the Copenhagen strain of Vaccinia and as B18R in the Western Reserve (WR) strain. B18R binds to type I IFN from multiple species and prevents IFN signaling through its receptors. B18R binds to the surface of virus infected and uninfected cells where it retains its capacity to bind and neutralize IFN. It shields those cells from the antiviral effects of type I IFN thereby enabling virus replication and pathogenicity. B18R also acts to protect cells during mRNA transfection to produce induced pluripotent stem cells from somatic cells. The addition of B18R results in increased cell viability of iPSCs in the presence of modified synthetic mRNAs coding for OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, MYC, NANOG, and LIN28A. Using mRNAs in combination with B18R allows for efficient, integration-free reprogramming of somatic cells to iPSCs without the use of viral vectors or genetic modification.