• UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine
U Magazine

U Magazine

U Magazine
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Centennial Campaign for UCLA Issue
  • Browse U Magazine
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine

U Magazine

Browse U Magazine

  1. Home
  2. Browse U Magazine
Share this
The Cutting Edge

How Molecular Rules Govern Autoimmune Disorders

  Bundles with Right DNA Spacing Can Amplify Immune Response
  Bundles with the right DNA spacing
can amplify immune response.
Image: Courtesy of Dr. Gerard C. L. Wong

An international team led by UCLA researchers has identified an unexpectedly general set of rules that determine which molecules can cause the immune system to become vulnerable to the autoimmune disorders lupus and psoriasis.

Autoimmune diseases occur when the body attacks itself because it fails to distinguish between host tissue and disease-causing agents, or pathogens. When a healthy person is infected by a virus, viral DNA can activate immune cells via a receptor called TLR9. The receptor triggers the cells to send signaling molecules called interferons to initiate a powerful defensive response. In people with lupus or psoriasis, these cells are activated by their own DNA, or self-DNA.

Using synchrotron X-ray scattering and other techniques, the researchers determined that a broad range of molecules can organize self-DNA into a liquid crystalline structure that binds strongly to the TLR9 receptors — like the teeth on either side of a zipper. This structure protects the DNA from becoming degraded and greatly amplifies the body’s immune response.

Synchrotron X-ray scattering utilizes a particle accelerator to generate X-ray beams that allow researchers to determine how atoms and molecules are organized into different structures. “Our research has identified a set of rules that tell us what types of molecules or materials can set off this aspect of the immune system,” says Gerard C. L. Wong, PhD, professor of bioengineering and chemistry. “This new knowledge will make it easier to design new therapeutic strategies.”

“Liquid-crystalline Ordering of Antimicrobial Peptide-DNA Complexes Controls TLR9 Activation,” Nature Materials, June 2015


Previous
New Study Opens Window on Mutations in Genetic Architecture of Schizophrenics
Next
Predicting Response to Treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder


YOU ARE VIEWING

Fall 2015

Fall 2015
E-Brochure
Printable PDF
IN THIS ISSUE
  • We Are the World
  • Camp Leg Power Propels Kids with Cerebral Palsy Forward
  • Portable Finger Probe Measures Liver Function in Potential Donors
  • Stem-cell Therapy Holds Promise for Eliminating HIV Infection
  • REM Sleep Helps Brain Capture Snapshots of Dream Images
  • Germline Cells Shown to be Vulnerable during Pregnancy
  • New Study Opens Window on Mutations in Genetic Architecture of Schizophrenics
  • How Molecular Rules Govern Autoimmune Disorders
  • Predicting Response to Treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
  • Why Children’s Recovery Times Vary after Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Potentially Effective Treatment for Meth Addiction
  • Protein that Helps Suppress Cancer Fades as We Age
  • Patient First to Bridge from Experimental Total Artificial Heart to Transplant
  • UCLA Community Based Learning: Bridging the Transition from Youth to Adulthood
  • Get Social
  • The End of Darkness
  • Medicine 2.0
  • White Knight
  • Awards, Honors & Grants
  • In Memoriam
  • Postcard from Malawi
  • In Her Own Words: Lynn L. Huang, MD ’07
  • The Business of Medical Innovation
  • Tribute to a Mentor and Friend
  • Kaleidoscope Ball Highlights Artistic Variety
  • Landmark Gift Paves the Way for Breakthroughs
  • The UCLA Today’s and Tomorrow’s Children’s Fund Names New Awardees
  • Golden Portal Fundraiser Joins Movies, Medicine and Technology
  • Widening the Circle of Giving
  • UCLA Names Landmark New Medical-Education Building Geffen Hall
  • Gifts
  • In Memoriam
  • Good Afternoon, Mrs. Gates
Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest
UCLA Health hospitals ranked best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
  • UCLA Health
  • Find a Doctor
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • UCLA Campus
  • Directory
  • Newsroom
  • Subscribe
  • Patient Stories
  • Giving
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • International Services
  • Privacy Practices
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Billing
  • Health Plans
  • Emergency
  • Report Broken Links
  • Terms of Use
  • 1-310-825-2631
  • Maps & Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Your Feedback
  • Report Misconduct
  • Get Social
  • Sitemap
Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest

Sign in to myUCLAhealth

Learn more about myUCLAhealth