The mechanism is a family of proteins, called interferon regulatory factor 3, and it can signal the immune system to turn on or off. The findings are important because they may help fight autoimmune disease by preventing overactive immune cells from attaching health tissues.
UT Southwestern Professor of Molecular Biology Zhijian “James” Chen, PhD, expressed his enthusiasm over the study findings.
“Ultimately, we believe that understanding this mechanism will facilitate the design and development of medications to treat human diseases such as lupus,” said Dr. Chen.
Lupus affects more than 1.5 million Americans, causing joint pain and swelling as well as damage to the brain, digestive track, heart, lungs and kidneys.
