Hope For Autoimmune Condition Suffers?

Autoimmune diseases, among the most common disorders of young adults, are known to be affected by genetic and environmental factors, including vitamin D deficiency and fatty acids. In an earlier study, researchers found that high levels of salt also contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Specifically, they observed that high salt induces inflammation in a type of immune cell known as CD4 T cells, while also causing a loss of regulatory T cell function. This, they found, is mediated by a salt-sensitive kinase, or enzyme critical for cell signaling, known as SGK-1.

A protein involved in immune function [PRDM1-S] induced increased expression of the salt-sensitive SGK-1 enzyme, leading to disruption of regulatory T cells, the researchers found. Moreover, they found similar overexpression of the protein involved in immune function, PRDM1-S, in other autoimmune diseases, suggesting that it may be a common feature of regulatory T cell dysfunction.

Scientists are now developing drugs that can target and decrease expression of the specific protein involved in immune function  in regulatory T cells.