All autoimmune diseases involve the interaction of
multiple genes and environmental triggers, he continues.
You are born with your genes, but you are not born with
these diseases. Something happens. We know what the
triggers are that start these diseases, that is stress,
infections, maybe we could avoid them or even block the
process. In fact, it may even be possible to actually
stop the autoimmune disease.
The most immediate
application of this research might be for the disease
that began the research: vitiligo. Doctors usually treat
vitiligo with ultraviolet (UV) light to stimulate skin
repigmentation. Scientists also know that there is one
medication available (approved for treating rheumatoid
arthritis) that blocks an inflammatory pathway thought
to be controlled by NALP1. The possibility of combining
a drug with UV light to improve vitiligo treatment is
intriguing, and Dr. Spritz is now interested in finding
out more about how the medication might affect people
with vitiligo.