Autoimmune Diseases

Christina Applegate’s recent appearance at the Emmy’s sparked a moment of empathy and recognition for the more than 2.5 million individuals around the world struggling with multiple sclerosis (MS). This autoimmune disease of the brain and spinal cord has genetic and environmental roots. A new study connects the two and reminds us that we, too, are evolving.
The link between the bacteria in our bodies, or microbiome, and diseases of the immune system has been established for some time. However, the role bacteria play is not well understood. A new paper takes that linkage to the next level, showing how one bacterium may play a big role in autoimmune diseases, such as lupus.