Discovery of protein linked to many autoimmune diseases

Researchers have discovered a new method of detecting small amount of a protein known as interferon in patients.
The method shows different levels and cellular sources of diseases.

Interferon are group of signaling proteins made by host cells in response to the presence of many pathogens like virus, bacteria, tumor cells and parasites.

Wrong activation of interferon signal can cause the immune system to attack healthy tissue and cause many autoimmune diseases in the body.

Elevated interferon is associated with complex autoimmune disorder like SLE, dermatomyositis and diabetes.

Mutations in genes can also cause type 1 interferonopathies. Darragh Duffy and some researchers developed an ultra sensitive method of detecting small amount of interferon in human blood.

The researchers were able to measure interferon levels in the blood of healthy SLE, dermatomyositis and type 1 interferonopathy patients.

Interferon levels were high in patients with type 1 interferonopathies, by isolating individual types of blood cells, it was discovered that mutations in a gene known as STING can cause high production of interferon.