The result is a growing number of scientists in both industry and university labs who are examining what makes the body turn against itself. And on the horizon, say business analysts, is a commercial market of virtually unlimited potential.
Armed with a better understanding of the immune system, scientists are developing increasingly sophisticated weapons against autoimmune diseases, disorders in which the body mistakes its own tissues as foreign and mounts attacks on itself. At one time, the best they could offer was relief from the symptoms of those attacks by deactivating the entire immune system. They moved on to inflammation, which often underlies the progression of these diseases. More recently, great strides have been made in identifying and targeting for treatment the specific elements involved in the initiation and perpetuation of autoimmune reactions. This refined approach is made possible by monoclonal antibody technology and by the knowledge that activation of ...
