[MR_Bulldops]

I am here to restore your confidence about autoimmune issues.

Recently (and still in many cases) "turn down the immune system" was the treatment for most cancers. Of course, the purpose of anti-cancer drugs isn't to turn down the immune system. It just happens that the side effect of drugs that target cancer cells also target other rapidly-dividing cells like hair, endothelial, and immune cells.

In fact, chemotherapy drugs like Methotrexate are prescribed - at lower doses than for cancer patients - to people with Lupus and other autoimmune diseases.

There are similar challenges with cancer and autoimmune diseases, so progress in one might help progress in the other.

From the article: "They are now working to find ways to deliver these molecules safely and effectively to people." This is a challenge for many potentially effective cancer treatments as well.

[idunnoman1222]

Killing quickly dividing cells as a way of modulating immune system is ‘turn down the immune system’

Just as antivirals are actually ‘stop cell division’

Neither of which inspire any confidence

[MR_Bulldops]

It should inspire confidence that we have moved beyond that for many types of cancer. And if it can be done with cancer treatment, we are closer to doing it with autoimmune and anti-virus treatments.

[spondylosaurus]

And some autoimmune treatments started out as failed attempts at developing cancer treatments, too. Happy accidents!

[kylehotchkiss]

I <3 all the happy accidents that allow us to live much healthier and longer lives than the generations before us