Interferons (IFN) are a family of cytokines with potent antiviral, antiproliferative and immunomodulatory properties, classified based on their binding specificity to cell surface receptors . Human IFNA2 was originally cloned in the early ‘80s and now more than a dozen closely related IFN alpha subtypes have been identified in both the human and mouse genome, each sharing about 80% amino acid (aa) sequence homology . Structurally, type I IFNs belong to the class of five helical-bundle cytokines, with the IFNA subtypes containing 2 conserved disulfide bonds . Mature human IFNA16 shares 60% aa sequence identity with mouse IFNA16. The type I IFNs bind to the interferon alpha receptor (IFNAR), which consists of two subunits: IFNAR1 (alpha -subunit) and IFNAR2 (beta -subunit). Individual IFNA subtypes are known to display unique efficacies to viral protection, and IFNA16 has been shown to be an intermediate inducer of IFN-stimulated genes and anti-viral protection . IFNA16 has been shown to be upregulated during chronic HIV infection and might play a role in lipid accumulation and fatty acid deposition in porcine muscle .