Control of chronic inflammation through elucidation of organ-specific autoimmune disease mechanisms

Research Project Outline

The human immune system normally distinguishes between microorganisms (non-self) and components of the body (self), thereby providing protection against invasion by numerous pathogens. However, an intractable autoimmune disease in which the immune system tends to attack the body itself can develop due to unknown mechanisms. With the aim of developing novel therapeutic approaches for chronic inflammation caused by autoimmunity, we study the mechanisms underlying the development of organ-specific autoimmune disease caused by the abnormal function of AIRE, a gene that plays an essential role in establishing self-tolerance in the thymus.