Autoimmune Diseases

What role do cytokines play in autoimmune diseases?

Cytokines, a varied group of signaling chemicals in the body, have been described as the software that runs the immune system, but when that software malfunctions, dysregulation of the immune system can result in debilitating ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Oct 27, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Researchers investigate link between autoimmune diseases and wounds that don't heal

Millions of Americans suffer from wounds that don't heal, and while most are typically associated with diabetes, new research has identified another possible underlying cause – autoimmune diseases. The finding represents ...

Medical research created Nov 06, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Researcher steps closer to understand autoimmune diseases

Understanding why immune cells, called T-cells, attack the body is vital in the war against autoimmune diseases like diabetes. University of Alberta researcher Troy Baldwin is a step closer to understanding why the body's ...

Immunology created Mar 06, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

'Personalized immune' mouse offers new tool for studying autoimmune diseases

Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) scientists have developed a way to recreate an individual's immune system in a mouse. The "personalized immune mouse" offers researchers an unprecedented tool for individualized analysis ...

Immunology created Mar 14, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Two experimental drugs could improve psoriasis treatment

(HealthDay) -- A new type of treatment may be on the horizon for people with moderate to severe cases of the chronic skin condition known as psoriasis.

Immunology created Mar 28, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Study: Epstein Barr virus protects against autoimmune disease

To the surprise of investigating researchers, an animal model of Epstein Barr virus protected lupus-prone mice against development of the autoimmune disease. Earlier work had suggested that EBV might promote the development ...

Immunology created Apr 02, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

23andMe identifies 5 significant genetic associations for hypothyroidism

Using its unique online research platform, 23andMe, a leading personal genetics company, has found five significant genetic associations for hypothyroidism in the largest known genome-wide association study of hypothyroidism ...

Genetics created Apr 09, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Understanding autoimmune disorders

Kathy Krolikowski of Frisco, Texas, suspected something was wrong long before her doctors did.

Immunology created Apr 13, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Vitamin D supplements may protect against viral infections during the winter

Vitamin D may be known as the sunshine vitamin, but a new research report appearing in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology shows that it is more than that. According to the report, insufficient levels of vitamin D are relate ...

Health created Apr 30, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1

Researcher develops non-toxic dandruff shampoo

Dandruff sufferers now have a non-toxic product to treat the condition, says a researcher at Georgia Health Sciences University.

Other created Apr 30, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Mechanism ID'd for benefit of stem cells in autoimmunity

(HealthDay) -- Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) activate a mechanism involving coupling of FAS/FAS ligand to induce T cell apoptosis and immune tolerance, according to an experimental study published ...

Medical research created May 02, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Delivery system for gene therapy may help treat arthritis

A DNA-covered submicroscopic bead used to deliver genes or drugs directly into cells to treat disease appears to have therapeutic value just by showing up, researchers report.

Immunology created May 15, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

'Intelligent medicine' erases side effects

Scientists at Aarhus University, Denmark in collaboration with the biotech company Cytoguide now publish a key to use glucocorticoid steroids in a kind of intelligent medicine that specifically hits the relevant cells. Data ...

Medical research created May 31, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Diabetes rising rapidly among U.S. kids

(HealthDay) -- Diabetes is increasing among U.S. children at an alarming rate, say researchers who report jumps of more than 20 percent since 2001 for type 2 disease, which is linked to excessive weight and ...

Diabetes created Jun 10, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Short-term intestinal parasite infection triggers specific cytokines that can prevent the development of type 1 diabetes

(Medical Xpress) -- Short-term infection with intestinal worms may provide long-term protection against type I diabetes (TID), suggests a study conducted by William Gause, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Medicine ...

Immunology created Jul 19, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1


Autoimmune diseases arise from an inappropriate immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the immune system mistakes some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks its own cells. This may be restricted to certain organs (e.g. in autoimmune thyroiditis) or involve a particular tissue in different places (e.g. Goodpasture's disease which may affect the basement membrane in both the lung and the kidney). The treatment of autoimmune diseases is typically with immunosuppression—medication which decreases the immune response.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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