Yale study reveals molecular mechanism behind autoimmune diseases

In a previous study, Yale found that there is a T cell in humans which is when defective creates autoimmune diseases.

Study in US: A study by the Yale University is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The findings present a new target for the treatment of human autoimmune disease. In this new study, scientists have found that the increase in a protein called PRDM1-S is the reason behind the loss of immune regulation.

Tomokazu Sumida of Yale University led the study. Tomokazu Sumida is assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine.

“These experiments reveal a key underlying mechanism for the loss of immune regulation in MS and likely other autoimmune diseases. They also add mechanistic insight into how Treg [regulatory T cells] dysfunction occurs in human autoimmune diseases," said Hafler, chair of Yale’s Department of Neurology.

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Many youngsters nowadays are affected by autoimmune diseases which are due to various factors including environmental, genetic, and deficiency of Vitamin D and fatty acids. The researchers found that high salt level in the body also results in the autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, and the development of multiple sclerosis. It also results in an inflammation in immune cell CD4 T cells.

“Based on these insights, we are now developing drugs that can target and decrease expression of PRDM1-S in regulatory T cells. And we have initiated collaborations with other Yale researchers using novel computational methods to increase the function of regulatory T cells to develop new approaches that will work across human autoimmune diseases," said Sumida.

Other researchers from MIT, Harvard and also from other institutes collaborated on the study.

Yale study evaluates barriers and benefits to pediatric obesity programs

Obesity in children is very common in the US. Two studies by Yale University have assessed how to improve treatment for this problem and also evaluated the cost-effectiveness factor.

Mona Sharifi of Yale School of Medicine is an author of both studies. She said, “We have treatment options that work. But we have these systematic barriers to access that we need to address rapidly.”

Healthy Weight Clinic is a program that offers lifestyle treatments and healthy behaviour for kids as per the American Academy of Paediatrics guidelines. The treatment is conducted by a team of community health workers, dieticians and paediatricians but the treatment is costly hence the study evaluated this factor from a societal perspective and health care perspective too.

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