We May Have Finally Discovered The Trigger That Starts Autoimmune Diseases

[BurnA]

We May Have Finally Discovered The Trigger That Starts Autoimmune Diseases

Scientists have identified a chain reaction that explains why our own bodies can turn against healthy cells, potentially transforming the way we look at autoimmune diseases and the way we treat them.


The reaction, discovered after four years of research in mice, has been described as a "runaway train" where one error leads the body to develop a very efficient way of attacking itself.

http://www.sciencealert.com/we-may-have-found-how-runaway-train-autoimmune-diseases-get-started

 

[me/cfs 27931]

In this case the research looked at a mouse model of the lupus autoimmune disease, considered an archetypal or 'classic' type of autoimmune disease that many others are based on.

Wasn't it Mario Capecchi at the Stanford Symposium who emphasized the importance of developing a mouse model for ME/CFS?

 

[Alvin2]

Very interesting.
What happens long term, the short term memory may be great to knock out (with Rituximab?) but if there is a long term we would need to fix it because it usually takes years to get diagnosed with ME/CFS or presumably most autoimmune diseases.

Could this even explain why only 60% remission is achieved in Rituximab trials?

 

[TrixieStix]

Just as I saw your post I was reading about the various scientific theories as to why autoimmune disease are more prevalent in women than men. I was unaware of many of these theories. Interesting.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568997211002989

 

[Snow Leopard]

There doesn't seem to be any substantial evidence of this in humans though - each autoimmune disease seems to have it's own specific autoantibodies, rather than some generalised lack of B-Cell tolerance.

 

[alex3619]

This is the first study I have seen with this kind of specific claim. Its interesting. Its also a long way to go before we have clinical application.

It might explain the Rituximab successes and failures. Might. So might other things. In ten or twenty years people will look back and ask why the answer is not obvious. We are mired in both a sea of uncertainty and quagmires of unfounded certainty. Or to put it another way, a lack of research and too much dogma.

In less than two months we might have early word, however brief, on how Rituximab is doing.

 

[geraldt52]

@Jonathan Edwards, it'd be interesting to know if you have an opinion on this.