Autoimmune Disease

HuProt for the Development of Targeted and Personalized Treatments

Specific autoantibodies involved in an autoimmune disease can guide treatment strategies

Autoantibodies play a crucial role in the development and progression of autoimmune diseases which occur when the immune system mistakenly targets and attacks the body's own tissues, mistaking them for foreign invaders. Autoantibodies can directly contribute to tissue damage in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, where autoantibodies target joint tissues or components of the skin, kidneys, and other organs, leading to inflammation and organ dysfunction. They can even directly influence the function of immune cytokines, altering the progression and symptoms of autoimmune conditions.

Understanding the specific autoantibodies involved in an autoimmune disease can guide treatment strategies. For example, therapies may aim to suppress the overall immune response, reduce inflammation, or target specific components of the immune system responsible for producing autoantibodies.

Research in the field of autoimmunity is ongoing, and scientists are continually identifying new autoantibodies associated with different autoimmune diseases. This deeper understanding of the role of autoantibodies is contributing to the development of more targeted and personalized approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune conditions.

In the featured publication below, HuProt™ microarray was used in a study which reported that patients with autosomal recessive NIK or RELB deficiency, or a specific type of autosomal-dominant NF-κB2 deficiency, also have neutralizing autoantibodies against type I IFNs and are at higher risk of getting life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia.