The Autoimmune Diseases Pathogenesis and Prophylaxis

Abstract

Epidemics of infectious diseases, such as the great plague of London, partly erased by the great fire, were of mysterious origin until Louis Pasteur (Figure 1) introduced the correct Germ Theory of Disease [1], in opposition to the prevailing theory that life was generated spontaneously in decaying organic matter. Lionel Whitby [2] initiated brilliant study of medical bacteriology, which was carried on by others as described by Baron [3], producing amazingly detailed knowledge of Microbiology. The Immunity SystemThis exists for defence against infectious diseases, as well described by Arthur Silverstein in William Paul's classic textbook [4], the description of Nobel Prize highlights summarising major advances well. Autoimmune DiseaseThe steps involved in the discovery of the existence and the pathogenesis of the autoimmune diseases are shown in Table 1. As antibodies that fitted specific germs had been discovered, it was natural to think that they were built on a template of antigen. However, Miescher discovered the structure of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid). Then Watson and Crick [5,6] discovered that the order of four bases in a very long double helix provides the genetic code for man and other creatures. Armed with this revolutionary knowledge, Niels Jerne [7] realised that cells are factories that can swiftly convert DNA to RNA to polypeptide, and proposed the Selection Theory,