New Clue to Autoimmune Diseases
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| Mon, 08-23-2004 - 10:12pm |
Same antibody found in Grave's disease shows up in rheumatoid arthritis
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDayNews) -- A single biological mechanism could activate a variety of autoimmune diseases, researchers report.
The discovery could pave the way for new therapies for rheumatoid arthritis and other disorders of the immune system, said the authors of a study in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of Immunology.
"We knew that the same folks tended to get these diseases, but we didn't know the biology underlying that," explained senior study author Dr. Terry Smith.
Other experts are not certain this represents a one-stone-kills-more-than-one-bird scientific breakthrough. "If that were true, then you would think you would have more patients with autoimmune thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis," said Dr. Clifton Bingham, director of the Seligman Center for Advanced Therapeutics at the New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City.
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