Gene That Boosts Resistance to Malaria linked to Susceptibility to MS and Lupus in Sardinia
Researchers from Italy found a strong association between the gene
that instructs the molecule “BAFF” and susceptibility to MS and lupus in
studies of nearly 6,000 people in Sardinia. The BAFF gene is crucial to
activation of immune B cells and is also associated with resistance to
malaria. Malaria was common in Sardinia until it was eradicated in 1950.
The rates of MS and certain immune-mediated diseases are high in
Sardinia. Further research is necessary to confirm whether this high
rate is related to BAFF, and whether MS could be treated by a therapy
that targets BAFF.
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