IF EVER there was a telling illustration of the power of the immune system, it came in 2006. Six men in a trial of an experimental drug made by the company TeGenero became critically ill after suffering a catastrophic over-stimulation of the immune system. The T-cells, the “master regulators” of the body’s immune system, had turned against it.
Now it seems we may have a “shadow” immune system ruled by B cells, usually portrayed as foot soldiers that do the bidding of T-cells. Tinkering with this aspect of the immune system (page 6) could yield new ways of treating autoimmune diseases and cancer. But, exciting as this is, let’s not forget the…
