The role of autoimmunologists in investigating and treating autoimmune disorders

The role of an autoimmunologist is to investigate and cultivate knowledge of normal and abnormal immune responses against self, which includes developing practical know-how to manipulate autoimmune activity and direct positive autoimmune outcomes. Where a subject develops an abnormal immune response directed against normal self, resulting in an autoimmune disease, the specialist should be able to diagnose the problem and institute an appropriate treatment. Obversely, where a subject lacks an immune response against cells bearing antigens that are abnormal or not quite self, i.e., cancer cells, the specialist should ideally be able to institute a specific cancer cell killing regimen. Essentially there are two beneficial and two harmful aspects of autoimmunity autoimmunologists should be familiar with. The beneficial aspects are the immune responses that assist in the clearance of cellular breakdown products and the elimination of cancer cells. The harmful aspects consist of immune responses, or lack thereof, that manifest in autoimmune disorders, i.e., autoimmune diseases and cancer. Recent medical discoveries, especially the modified vaccination technique developed by the Barabas research group, show great promise in both preventing and curing autoimmune disorders by utilizing the immune system's natural abilities to re-establish normal health. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.