Gene-altered mouse is model for rare autoimmun...( xities of the disease and the immune sy...)

"This model really tells us that the biology of Id3 and the immune system is more complex than was suspected," he said. "For example, we need to understand why autoimmunity so specifically affects the lachrymal and salivary glands when the Id3 gene is very broadly expressed in many cell types."

Thus, the researchers are exploring the mechanism by which the Id3 mutation compromises early development of T cells and produces an autoimmune response.

Importantly, said Zhuang, genetic analysis can be further applied to this animal model. For example, the defect in Id3 may cause different effects in different strains of mice with other genetic deficiencies -- offering even further opportunity for understanding the intricacies of immune system development.

Zhuang and his colleagues are also collaborating with medical center rheumatologists Drs. William St. Clair and Rob Geletka to determine whether Id3 deficiency plays a role in the disease in humans. They have begun to screen blood samples from patients with the disorder.

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Contact: Dennis Meredith
Dennis.mererdith@duke.edu
919-681-8054
Duke University Medical Center
19-Oct-2004