We've long known there is a genetic component to autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases tend to run in the family, suggesting that certain genes make us more likely to develop the diseases. But how did these genes evolve and why does it seem like more and more people are being diagnosed with autoimmune diseases today?
A geneticist found that a set of genetic variants which once protected our ancestors from the plague may now be increasing our risks for autoimmune diseases. These gene variants boost the body's immune response to the bacteria that caused the plague, but they are also associated with higher risks of autoimmune diseases.
During the Black Death plague, people with just one of the gene variants were 40% more likely to survive the plague than those without the variant. As a result, after the plague eradicated a large percentage of the population in the 1300's, those who survived were much likely to have the gene variants.
Today, many of us may have inherited these variants. By learning more about the origins of autoimmune diseases, we hope to better understand and, one day, successfully treat autoimmune diseases.
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