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How the Immune System Avoids Attacking Itself

physorg.com — A finding by University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers about how immune cells "decide" to become active or inactive may have applications in fighting cancerous tumors, autoimmune diseases, and organ transplant rejection.

Who dugg this? Made popular Oct 13, 2006

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16 Comments

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  • stizz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Dugg

    Nice find indeed.

    I have Anklosing Spondylitis, and other than allowing me access to good medical weed, its not much fun.

    One day my body will stop trying to cure itself of itself. Its studys like these that give me hope.
  • sepllcehck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Right on Stizz! I have AS as well and as long as scientist continue making small steps forward people like you and I can at least have some hope - or at least future generations.

    I just hope a University discovers the therapy so that pharma companies don't make $250+ a dose.

    And medical weed. I need to move where you are...

  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I wonder if this will end up helping my friend with systemic lupus... Nice find. Digg++
  • Rodalli, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5There are many illnesses these findings could be very helpful in treating. Ulcerative colitis, for instance, and other inflammatory conditions are believed by some doctors to be caused by overactive immune responses in the body. Hopefully this will advance our ability to treat these diseases.
  • TrevorBradley, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5All the diggers with autoimmune disorders are coming out of the woodwork.

    Crohn's Disease here... :)
  • hausome, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I hope this discovery leads to curing my Dad's Myasthenia Gravis (I think that's how you spell it).
  • joank, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3My nephew is allergic to food (yes, I said food), so I find this rather interesting.
  • ICSU, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I was afraid we wouldn't cure cancer on digg this week :)
  • Thuktun, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@jeolmeun

    "Random mutations" that cause an auto-immune disorder have everything to do with the immune system. Duh.
  • acetv, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Best comment yet.
  • foxhoundadmin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1silly, this isn't true. they sign peace treaties and decide not to fight with each other... unless they're evil, tyrannic white blood cells! then, they build wmds, and one threatens the other (until the other gets invaded)... :\
  • lustre, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0A malady that many suffer from and is suspected to be caused by immunological over-vigilance is periodontal disease, particularly tissue and bone loss.
  • NaumanZia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0what a intersting how can u handle cancer?
  • Chucklz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Congrats Gary!

    By the way diggers, Abramson is a part of CHOP, not Penn, although many researchers hold dual appointments. Abramson is about 50 feet from the Penn biomedical research facilities anyway.
  • kateweb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0How Dose the boy live ? I have never herd of this tho I believe it to be possible how dose this poor boy get the nutrition that he needs?
  • jeolmeun, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1May your friend get well.

    What does the immune system have to do with random mutations and natural selection?

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