title: The application of gene therapy in autoimmune diseases.
abstract: The application of gene therapy in autoimmune disease represents a novel use of this technology. The goal of gene therapy in the treatment of autoimmune disease is to restore 'immune homeostasis' by countering the pro-inflammatory effects of the CD4+ T cells in the lesions of autoimmunity. This can be accomplished by adoptive therapy with transduced T cells which can specifically home to the site of inflammation and secrete 'regulatory' protein(s) to ameliorate the inflammation or by direct targeting of the retroviral vector to activated T cells in the sites of inflammation. Transduction of autoantigen recognizing CD4+ T cells, to secrete anti-inflammatory products, may become the 'magic bullet' to combat the ravages of autoimmune inflammation and tissue destruction. Gene Therapy (2000) 7, 9-13.
authors.affiliation: Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room S021, Stanford, CA 94305-5111, USA.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Seroogy
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Fathman
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans