> AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES

The human immune system has evolved to recognize and destroy potentially harmful substances, protecting the body from cancers and infections in healthy individuals. The immune system recognizes antigens which are substances that induce an immune response in the body. These antigens can be exogenous antigens derived from foreign sources (such as pollen, food, viruses or bacteria), or endogenous antigens (self antigens) which are produced by the body (such as human proteins).

To function effectively, the immune system must discern between harmful antigens and innocuous antigens. The immune system maintains a delicate balance between effector cells which mount immune responses to antigens that represent potential threats, and regulatory cells which mitigate undesired and potentially harmful immune responses through suppressive mechanisms. Depending upon the characteristics of the antigen and the context in which the antigen is encountered, the immune system must determine whether to mount an aggressive (effector) or regulatory (tolerogenic) immune response.

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mounts an undesired response to an innocuous self antigen, such as the components of the myelin sheath in the case of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) or the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor ("TSHR") in the case of Graves' disease ("GD"). Autoimmune diseases are chronic, incurable conditions which are treated with therapies that often have serious life-threatening or life-altering side effects and do not address the immunological basis of the disease.

There are over 80 types of autoimmune diseases including MS, GD, and Uveitis. An estimated 50 million people suffer from autoimmune disease in the US alone, and it is one of the leading causes of death in women in the US in all age groups up to 65. Furthermore, the incidence of autoimmune disease has been growing annually.

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