Autoimmune diseases can be particularly difficult to study and treat, since they’re caused by a complex network of genetic and environmental factors. In a paper recently published in the Journal of Immunology, Andrea Amalfitano, Dean of MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Patrick O’Connell, a seventh-year DO/PhD student, have started putting together the clues on how one gene in particular, ERAP1, may contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis.
Amalfitano’s lab has studied several other immune-related conditions, including ankylosing spondylitis and colitis, and had previously worked with the ERAP1 gene and its relationship to autoimmune conditions. MS was a natural next step for further research since previous reports showed that people with ERAP1 gene mutations are more likely to develop MS.
“In the simplest context, MS is when your body’s immune system starts attacking your brain,,” O’Connell explained. “We don't know why and we don't fully understand it. But we do know that it's a complex disease, there are a lot of factors involved, and the human immune system is one of the major players.” By learning more about how the disease begins, O’Connell, Amalfitano, and the other researchers on the project hoped to gain insight into who might develop MS and which therapies might work best for them.
To learn more, visit com.msu.edu
