A possibly important ally of the immune system that can help with the tricky task of separating friend from foe has been identified by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Researchers showed that a protein known as H2-DM can keep immune system T cells from erroneously assaulting the body’s own tissues. Distinguishing between foreign and native is one of the immune system’s most important tasks; failure to make this distinction can lead the immune system to attack the body, causing autoimmune conditions like diabetes, lupus, arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
