RESEARCH - New drug target for immune diseases discovered

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New Drug Target For Immune Diseases Discovered

MedicalNewsToday.com

Article Date: 04 Aug 2010 - 1:00 PDT

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found a new

mechanism that explains how certain immune cells are activated to

create protective antibodies against infections or pathological

antibodies such as those present in autoimmune diseases like lupus and

rheumatoid arthritis. The research is published online in the

September issue of Nature Immunology.

Autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are

characterized by exaggerated production of molecules that activate the

adaptive immune system and abnormal antibodies, which attack normal

cells causing inflammation and tissue damage. This exaggerated

production may occur partly as a result of abnormally strong signaling

from TACI via MyD88. By analyzing cells and tissues from

immunodeficient patients and genetically engineered mice, Dr.

Cerutti's team found a previously unknown interaction between TACI and

MyD88 that is important for the production of antibodies against

infectious agents. Yet, the same interaction may cause the exaggerated

immune response in people with autoimmune diseases.

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