|
Autoimmune Disease is a family of disorders resulting from tissue damage caused by a malfunctioning immune system, affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. Such diseases may be restricted to a single organ, as in multiple sclerosis and Type I diabetes mellitus, or may involve multiple organs as in the case of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Treatment is generally palliative and typically includes anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs. The severe side effects of many of these therapies have fueled a continuing search for more effective and selective immunosuppressive drugs.
Most promising among these are those which can selectively inhibit the function of effector memory T-cells, known to be involved in the etiology of many of these autoimmune diseases. |
