Protein’s New Role Discovered In Autoimmune Disease

Investigators at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have identified the previously unknown role of a chemical ‘messenger’ leading to autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The messenger is the naturally occurring chemical interleukin 17 (IL-17), an immunity protein.UAB researchers pinpointed an unknown role IL-17 plays in autoimmune and inflammatory responses, aside from its commonly known effects within immunity.

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Filed under: Biology on January 4th, 2008