Cancer patients shed new light on rheumatoid arthritis
by Robin McKie from on (#3H8VF)
Side-effects in immunotherapy for cancer patients have given scientists an ally in the battle against rheumatoid arthritis
The human immune system is one of the most effective defence mechanisms known to nature. It can ward off myriad microbial invaders: bacteria, viruses and parasites. It is sometimes overwhelmed by disease, of course, but the billions of men and women who now live on Earth are a testament - at least in part - to the effectiveness of their immune defences.
However, on occasions they go too far. Instead of killing off invading organisms, our immune systems turn on our own tissue and attack it. Conditions such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus are all triggered in this way, very often with deeply unpleasant consequences.
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