Feinberg
Northwestern Medicine | Northwestern University | Faculty Profiles

News Center

  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
    • Podcast
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Menu
  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
    • Podcast
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Home » Defining a Key Protein’s Role in Autoimmune Diseases
Disease Discoveries

Defining a Key Protein’s Role in Autoimmune Diseases

By Nora DunneSep 26, 2016
Share
Facebook Twitter Email
White blood cell B lymphocyte plasma cell producing antibodies isolated on white background
Northwestern Medicine scientists explored a protein involved in the activation of B-cells, white blood cells that produce antibodies.

With new research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Northwestern Medicine scientists add to a body of work demonstrating that a protein called Hrd1 may be an important target for treating autoimmune diseases.

In this study, a team led by Deyu Fang, PhD, professor of Pathology, focused on a process that stops unwanted activation of B-cells, white blood cells that produce antibodies. Normally, antibodies ward off harmful pathogens, but in autoimmune diseases they attack healthy cells.

The scientists revealed that Hrd1 in the endoplasmic reticulum, a network of interconnected tubes within cells, helps regulate B-cell immunity.

“We demonstrated that Hrd1 plays critical roles in at least two distinct checkpoints of B-cell immunity: B-cell development and activation,” Fang said. “In particular, we discovered that Hrd1 inhibits activation-induced B-cell death by degrading the death receptor Fas.”

He explained, “Since Fas-mediated activation-induced apoptosis is critical to eliminate unwanted autoimmune B-cell responses, suppression of Hrd1 in B-cells would be beneficial to treat B-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases such as lupus through facilitating auto-reactive B-cell death.”

Earlier this summer, Fang’s group published a paper that showed decreasing Hrd1 helps white blood cells distinguish between a body’s own cells and foreign antigens.

This study was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R01 Grants AI079056, AI108634 and AR006634.

Immunology Research
Share. Facebook Twitter Email

Related Posts

Scientists Discover Novel Cellular Mechanisms Behind Transcription Elongation

Aug 10, 2022

‘Inside Out’ Signaling Promotes Tumor Growth

Aug 5, 2022

New Insights in Retinal Neurons

Aug 4, 2022

Comments are closed.

Latest News

Scientists Discover Novel Cellular Mechanisms Behind Transcription Elongation

Aug 10, 2022

First-Year Medical Students Celebrate Founders’ Day 2022

Aug 9, 2022

‘Inside Out’ Signaling Promotes Tumor Growth

Aug 5, 2022

New Insights in Retinal Neurons

Aug 4, 2022

Medical Student Wins Presidential Fellowship

Aug 3, 2022
  • News Center Home
  • Categories
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
  • News Archives
  • About Us
Flickr Photos
220805_SERIO_MANDELL_FEINBERG_White_Coat_1676
220805_SERIO_MANDELL_FEINBERG_White_Coat_1206
220805_SERIO_MANDELL_FEINBERG_White_Coat_1144 (1)
220805_SERIO_MANDELL_FEINBERG_White_Coat_1133
220805_SERIO_MANDELL_FEINBERG_White_Coat_1057
220805_SERIO_MANDELL_FEINBERG_White_Coat_1424
220805_SERIO_MANDELL_FEINBERG_White_Coat_1472
220805_SERIO_MANDELL_FEINBERG_White_Coat_1573
220805_SERIO_MANDELL_FEINBERG_White_Coat_1671
220805_SERIO_MANDELL_FEINBERG_White_Coat_1793
220805_SERIO_MANDELL_FEINBERG_White_Coat_0885
220805_SERIO_MANDELL_FEINBERG_White_Coat_1144

Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr YouTube Instagram
Copyright © 2022 Northwestern University
  • Contact Northwestern University
  • Disclaimer
  • Campus Emergency Information
  • Policy Statements

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.