Project Manager
Karlsson, MikaelProject manager
Karolinska InstituteAmount granted
1 200 000 SEKYear
2011
Our immune system protects us from infections and the inflammatory response resulting from its activation is designed to fight the infection and then restore the balance in the body. In autoimmune disease, this balance is disrupted and the inflammatory process goes out of control and instead participates in the destruction of different tissues depending on the disease. A key component of this misguided immune response is B cells, which usually produce antibodies against viruses and bacteria. The importance of these cells has been highlighted recently as a treatment that knocks them out (rituximab) has been effective in a number of rheumatic diseases. It has been known that the rheumatic disease SLE is linked to cardiovascular disease. In this project we investigate the mechanisms behind this link with a focus on the B-cell. The goal is to find new markers that can predict whether SLE patients will develop cardiovascular complications and to find methods to control B cells so that their beneficial properties are utilized in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.