Researchers looking into foundations of autoimmune disease development, may yield new treatments
An Idaho State University biologist and her students are exploring new ways to fight autoimmune diseases afflicting millions. "Normally, our immune system makes antibodies that target pathogens for destruction," said Kinta Serve, an associate professor at ISU. "These antibodies recognize specific pathogen molecules, like bacterial proteins, while ignoring our own host molecules.
Idaho State University biologist Kinta Serve and her students are investigating the development of autoimmune diseases, which could lead to novel treatments. Normally, the immune system produces antibodies that target pathogens while disregarding our own cells. However, in autoimmune diseases, the immune system mistakenly creates autoantibodies that attack our own host molecules, causing cell and tissue damage, pain, and other symptoms.
Serve specializes in immunotoxicology and studies how environmental toxins, like asbestos, impact the immune system. Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral used in various products, is known to cause severe diseases like lung cancer and mesothelioma. Research has shown that exposure to a specific type of asbestos called Libby asbestiform amphibole leads to higher levels of autoantibodies.
In 2024, Serve collaborated with Brian Cherrington from the University of Wyoming to understand how this asbestos exposure alters proteins in the body. Proteins can be modified either through changes in their genetic code or by alterations in the chemical groups that make up the protein, without any genetic changes. When protein chemical groups change, it can affect their function and potentially make them targets for the immune system.
Serve's team identified about a dozen proteins that were altered following asbestos exposure. Building on this research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, the team is now focusing on how these protein modifications contribute to autoimmune disease development, using Libby amphibole asbestos as a model. The goal is to determine how protein modifications impact function and if these altered proteins become immune targets.
This research could provide insights into how environmental exposures trigger autoimmunity in general. According to a 2024 study, over 15 million people in the United States suffer from autoimmune diseases, making up roughly 1 in 20 Americans. Women are affected more often than men. Serve emphasizes that understanding the molecular changes and immune responses to asbestos could help prevent or slow down the development of autoimmune diseases, ultimately benefiting many individuals, including those the researchers know personally.
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