Discovery prompts new theory on cause of autoimmune diseases

The recent discovery of a protein fragment capable of causing diabetes in mice has spurred researchers at National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado Denver to propose a new hypothesis about the cause of diabetes and autoimmunity in general. In the April 23, 2010, issue of Immunity, Drs. Brian Stadinski, John Kappler and George Eisenbarth propose that the unusual and rare presentation of protein fragments (peptides) to the immune system allows autoreactive T cells to escape the thymus and trigger autoimmune disease. The findings could lead to a new strategy for preventing type 1 diabetes.

Read the whole article on Physorg

More from Physorg