The immune system is a complex and powerful weapon that provides protection against bacteria and viruses that, if left unchecked, would wreak havoc throughout the human body.
The ability of the immune system to recognize the body's own tissues is essential, but sometimes the immune system loses the ability to distinguish "self" from potentially harmful invaders. This can lead to autoimmune disease characterized by destruction of healthy tissues. Although it is not clear exactly what causes the immune system to go awry, there is increasing evidence that in some cases infections with viruses or bacteria may play a role.
Now, a new study published in the June issue of Immunity provides evidence that bacterial infections induce a kind of self-recognition that may contribute to some autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).