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Body's Immune System can be Redirected

Posted by michael on from the detour dept.

Ridgelift writes "BBC News have this story of a key chemical signalling system, called Notch, which governs how our body develops immune cells. By pre-treating patients who are about to undergo an organ transplant, it's possible to 'redirect' the immune system so it does not launch an attack on the donor organ. This may soon eliminate the need for transplant patients having to take a lifetime of powerful immunosuppressive drugs that have many unwanted side-effects."

2 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. Multiple Sclerosis by suss · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I wonder if this could somehow be adapted to treat Multiple sclerosis, where the immune system attacks its own myelin...

    Any thoughts?

  2. Alternatively... by FFFish · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...Isotechnika has re-designed our old-standard drugs (Cyclosporin, stuff like that) to be far, far less toxic.

    I don't understand it. Sounds good, though!

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