Ro60 Autoantigen Regulates Inflammatory Gene Expression

The team concluded that Ro60 binds to Alu and primes the RNA-binding innate immune receptors within B cells. This then causes the B cells to make antibodies that target Ro60-Alu RNA, thereby driving disease-causing inflammation.

Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer based in the Chicago area.

References

Hung T, Pratt GA, Sundararaman B, et al. The Ro60 autoantigen binds endogenous retroelements and regulates inflammatory gene expression. Science. 2015 Oct 23;350(6259):455–459. doi: 10.1126/science.aac7442. Epub 2015 Sep 17.

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