(NIH/National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Scientists at the NIH have found a mechanism in the immune systems of mice that can lead to the development of autoimmune disease when turned off.

The findings shed light on the processes that lead to the development of autoimmunity and could also have implications for the development of drugs to increase the immune response in diseases such as cancer and HIV.

The study paper appears online today in the journal Nature.