Find out the mechanism that causes the disease to destroy itself

Researchers have discovered how some molecules in the human body can cause autoimmune disease.

They had the first mechanical evidence to explain the real cause of this dreaded disease.

Autoimmune disease is a disease that more than 50 million Americans have. Although more and more people know how to relieve their symptoms, we are not yet fully equipped to understand the basics of the disease.

Richard Kitching, one of the researchers at Monash University in Australia, said: "People with autoimmune diseases carry T cells . They make people sick, but they also protect us from disease. After much research, the scientific community finally knew how this happened, and the research results opened the door to new and targeted treatments for specific diseases. "

This new study has found an important interaction between the two genes . These genes help T cells communicate with precise defense signals to prevent them from attacking the body. But is this exactly an autoimmune disorder?

Usually, the immune system is very good when attacking outside "invaders" such as viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms that should not be there. But in autoimmune disorders, the immune system starts attacking its body parts because they see those cells as "strangers."

For type 1 diabetes, it destroys cells that make insulin and with rheumatism, immune cells attack the joints. The researchers also investigated Goodpasture syndrome (also known as Goodpasture disease or glomerular antibody-resistant antibody disease) in mice. This is a rare disease caused by the immune system attacking the basement membrane in the lungs and kidneys.

Autoimmune disease is a chronic disease related to the body's immune system.(Photo: Shutterstock).

Previous studies have shown that in our bodies there are special proteins or molecules that make people more or less dependent on molecules - the cause of autoimmune diseases.

The Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) system of humans is a sequence of genes encoded with proteins to help the immune system. Some HLA molecules are located on the surface of T cells, and they will let other immune cells recognize small pieces of "invaders" to help them destroy it.

Jamie Rossjohn, a senior researcher at Monash University, said: "Some immune molecules called HLA molecules have been linked to the genetic risk of causing autoimmune disease. Meanwhile, other HLA molecules can protect the body from disease. "

For example, some versions of an HLA molecule called DR15 have been shown to increase the risk of diseases such as Goodpasture syndrome, multiple sclerosis and autoimmune diseases. Another molecule, called HLA-DR1, is also involved in some autoimmune diseases.

Until now, researchers still do not know the true mechanism of these molecules, as well as why they increase autoimmune diseases?

The researchers bred mice with the DR15 gene or the human DR1 gene. They found that mice carrying DR15 began to develop Goodpasture syndrome, but those with the DR1 gene or both of these genes did not.

"With Goodpasture disease, when there is a molecule of DR15, it can select and guide T cells to attack the body. If it exists alone in the body, these damaging cells can attack the "The body's tissue, which causes serious illnesses. However, when added to the protective DR1 molecule, these T cells will be trapped and they will not harm anymore , " Kitching said.

Although this study has only been tested in mice, it is an important step to understand how and why the immune system recognizes its own body as a threat. Researchers hope that new research results will help patients.

"These specific protective immune cells are extremely powerful. So if we can encourage them to grow in the body, or expand human cells outside the body and inject them into patients, we will have effective treatments for people with autoimmune disease, " Kitching said.

The entire study was published in Nature.

Autoimmune disease is a chronic disease related to the body's immune system. Autoimmune means self-immunity, so autoimmune disease is a disease in which the body produces its own antibodies against its own cells, resulting in its own destruction.