Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have discovered a cellular pathway that promotes inflammation in diseases like asthma, as well as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis. Understanding the details of this pathway may provide opportunities for tailored treatments for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
The researchers found that a protein molecule known as interleukin-17 (IL-17) spurs inflammation by recruiting specific white blood cells to sites of infection and injury, producing a strong, pathogenic response.
The ability to block this pathway may treat IL-17-induced inflammatory diseases. The molecular factors discovered by the researchers conducting this study make this concept a potential strategy.
Their findings appear in the journal Nature Immunology.
Source: Learner Research Institute
