Autoimmune Disease News and Research

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Autoimmune Disease is a condition in which the body recognizes its own tissues as foreign and directs an immune response against them.

Newly-discovered protein acts as off switch for human immune cells

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a protein that cancer cells use to shut down the body's immune response, a discovery that could help scientists develop new treatments that make cancer immunotherapies more effective.

3 Aug 2026

Landmark study identifies new genetic risk factors linked to fibromyalgia syndrome

In a landmark study published in Nature Medicine, an international team of researchers has identified new genetic risk factors associated with fibromyalgia syndrome.

28 Jul 2026

Emerging PPAR therapies offer new hope for primary biliary cholangitis

Primary biliary cholangitis is a rare autoimmune disease that affects the liver and can progress to cirrhosis. It occurs when the immune system attacks the small bile ducts within the liver. As a result, bile builds up, leading to inflammation and progressive liver damage. Although a first-line treatment exists, 40% of patients do not respond adequately to it or cannot tolerate it, so new treatment options need to be developed.

23 Jul 2026

Dormant melanocytes found in vitiligo offer hope for future repigmentation therapies

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys melanocytes, the cells that produce the skin pigment melanin. Once the melanocytes are gone, the skin turns white, leading to the characteristic skin patches of the disease.

23 Jul 2026

Mount Sinai establishes new autoimmunity center with $5 million gift

A $5 million gift from philanthropists Judith and Stewart Colton will establish a Colton Center for Autoimmunity within the Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute (PrIISM) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

21 Jul 2026

Inflammatory messenger substance interferon-alpha can trigger Sjögren's syndrome

Findings from Bonn, Edinburgh and Newcastle could give a boost to pharmaceutical research.

20 Jul 2026

Rising tick-borne disease in Canada can trigger heart inflammation

Move over, Lyme disease - there's another tick-borne disease to worry about in Canada. Anaplasmosis, the second most common tick-borne disease in the country, can cause a range of health issues, including myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle).

13 Jul 2026

Off-the-shelf CAR T therapy targets treatment-resistant systemic sclerosis

Today at ISSCR 2026, new preliminary clinical data was presented evaluating an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived CAR T-cell therapy for patients with treatment-resistant systemic sclerosis, a rare autoimmune disease with high mortality.

9 Jul 2026

LEF1 and niche-derived factors regulate T cell stemness across chronic diseases

T cells are an elite fighting force of the immune system, seeking out and destroying diseased cells. But in a prolonged campaign against a chronic condition - like a viral infection, or cancer - the body needs a steady supply of these killer troops.

1 Jul 2026

Monoclonal antibody shows promise for treating acute respiratory distress syndrome

Doctors have few options for patients who develop a life-threatening lung condition called acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS.

30 Jun 2026

HSS researchers link early-life immunity to adult immune function

Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have uncovered a critical link between the immune system in early life and its function in adulthood.

26 Jun 2026

Scientists find link between bacterium in the gut ecosystem and lupus

Scientists at UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio, found a link between a bacterium in the gut microbiome, or ecosystem, and lupus, which could lead to more effective treatment of the disease, in a study published in Nature Communications.

25 Jun 2026

Immune cells drive abnormal joint tissue growth in rheumatoid arthritis

Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have identified a specialized population of immune cells that play a central role in driving abnormal tissue growth in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), offering new insight into disease progression and potential treatment strategies.

24 Jun 2026

Researchers uncover key mechanism driving chronic Sjögren disease

Sjögren disease, an autoimmune disease characterized by dry mouth and dry eyes, may reduce patients’ quality of life.

24 Jun 2026

Aging immune cells may explain why autoimmunity rises later in life

A new Review reveals how aging can push the immune system into a paradoxical state, weaker against threats yet more prone to attacking the body’s own tissues.

21 Jun 2026

Mental health problems common in encephalitis survivors, study finds

A major new study has found that mental health and behavioral changes such as depression, anxiety, and emotional instability are common in people who survive encephalitis - inflammation of the brain that can be caused by infection or autoimmune disease.

18 Jun 2026

First human trial targets aging immune cells for healthier immunity

A first-in-human clinical trial of an immune rejuvenation therapy designed to restore the function of worn-out T cells is expected to begin later this year, building on research led by UCL scientists into the mechanisms of immune aging.

17 Jun 2026

Philanthropic investment expands collaborative network for autoimmune research

NYU Langone Health today announced a new philanthropic investment from longtime supporters Judy and Stewart Colton as part of a $15 million gift shared across three Colton Consortium institutions: NYU Langone, Yale University, and Tel Aviv University.

10 Jun 2026

GLP-1 medicines may cut clot-related risks in chronically inflamed patients

In a target trial emulation using OneFlorida+ electronic health record data, GLP-1 receptor agonist use in adults with obesity and autoimmune disease was linked to lower hazards of pulmonary embolism, venous thromboembolism, stroke/TIA, emergency department visits, and all-cause mortality.

10 Jun 2026

Immune cell defects may drive celiac disease development

New research from the Snow Centre for Immune Health is challenging long-held assumptions about autoimmune disease, revealing that coeliac disease may be driven not just by an overactive immune system, but by subtle defects in how immune cells function.

9 Jun 2026