Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) binds to receptor subunits IFNαR1 and IFNαR2 on the cell surface, which initiate the phosphorylation of TYK2 and JAK1 and trigger downstream cascade of JAK-Stat signal transduction pathways. IFN-α can also induce the formation of Interferon-stimulated gene factor 3 (ISGF3), composed of STAT1, STAT2, and IRF9. The ISGF3 complexes bind ISRE (IFN-stimulated response elements) further inducing the transcription of IFN-stimulated genes which contain ISREs within their promoters that leads to transcription of selected genes.

Signosis developed the IFN-α/ISRE luciferase reporter stable cell line to monitor IFN-α associated JAK-Stat pathway.