What do leukemia and autoimmune disease have in common?

Scientists have long known of a connection between autoimmune diseases and leukemia. Many patients with autoimmune diseases are at increased risk for developing leukemia. Leukemia patients are also likely to develop autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

A recent study sought to understand this connection and looked at a gene variant that is linked to both leukemia and autoimmune diseases. The genetic protein at issue is called STAT3 and controls the growth of killer T cells in our body. Killer T cells (also called cytotoxic T cells) are a part of our immune system responsible for killing foreign, damaged, or cancerous cells in our body.

“Even just 1-2% of a person’s T cells going rogue could cause autoimmune disease.

In testing on mice, scientists found that if STAT3 is altered, it can lead to the development of rogue killer T cells that grow unchecked and bypass immune checkpoints to attack the body’s own cells. This effectively shows that STAT3 mutations can cause autoimmune diseases.

While more research is needed, this study offers a new target for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. It may also help develop screening technologies to identify cells that might turn rogue and cause disease.

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