Novel pathophysiologic mechanism responsible for autoimmunity identified

(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have discovered that human proteins with an affinity for Dermatan Sulfate (DS) have the propensity to become autoantigens. In a companion article, the researchers also found that DS physically interacts with dead cells and that the resulting DS–autoantigen complexes drive autoreactive B-1a cell responses and autoantibody production both in-vitro and in mouse models. These findings, which appear in two back-to-back papers in the May issue of the American Journal of Pathology, provide a promising tool for discovery of autoantigens, molecular diagnosis of autoimmune diseases and development of cause-specific therapies.

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