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Can autoimmune diseases be cured? Scientists see hope at last

After decades of frustration and failed attempts, scientists might finally be on the cusp of developing therapies to restore immune ‘tolerance’ in conditions such as diabetes, lupus and multiple sclerosis.
  1. Cassandra Willyard

    1. Cassandra Willyard is a science journalist in Madison, Wisconsin.

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Computer illustration of a dendritic cell and a t-cell interacting

Antigen presenting cells (illustrated, right) can sometimes train T cells (left) not to attack. Credit: Juan Gaertner/Science Photo Library

Back in 2001, immunologist Pere Santamaria was exploring a new way to study diabetes. Working in mice, he and his collaborators developed a method that uses iron oxide nanoparticles to track the key immune cells involved in the disorder.

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Nature 625, 646-648 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00169-7

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