MIF In SLE

A disease in which the role of MIF has more recently emerged is SLE. SLE, or lupus, is a less common but highly important systemic autoimmune disease, with a prevalence of about 1/700. It predominantly affects young women, and causes inflammatory damage to vital organs including joints, skin, kidney and brain. The role of cytokines in SLE pathogenesis has recently come under the spotlight. Increased MIF expression in human SLE, association of MIF polymorphisms with the risk of SLE, and marked protection of MIF-deficient mice from pathology and lethality in models of SLE highlight the importance of MIF in this disease.

Many of these studies were published by Cortical’s scientific founders.