A mutation in a gene discovered in 1998 by Dr. Fred Perrino at Wake Forest University, has now been characterized as a cause of the serious autoimmune disorder, systemic lupus erythematosus.
This gene, called TREX1, forms the pattern for a protein, called TREX1 protein, which is involved in the disassembly of DNA in dieing cells. If a mutation in this gene causes it to form an incorrect TREX1 protein unable to degrade the DNA, the immune system of the body treats this DNA as foreign to itself and makes antibodies which attack it and also other undamaged cells in its own body.
Having the gene and its protein characterized will enable researchers to search more effectively for a treatment for this disorder.
A fuller summary of this information can be found at http://www.Eurekalert.org - Research links genetic mutations to lupus
You can find the article in: Nature Genetics. Current issue.
Another article with additional data is found in: Journal of Biological Chemistry. April 2007 issue
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