Many chronic diseases are the result of the body's immune system mistakenly perceiving that the body is under attack from foreign bodies. A counterattack is then launched an inflammatory response meant to vanquish the intruder. In reality, the immune system has misinterpreted the threat and is actually attacking the body's own cells and tissue.
Unless this situation is rectified, an inflammation can become chronic and eventually lead to psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis or a number of other inflammatory conditions. Professor Berit Johansen and her research colleagues at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim have discovered one of the culprits in this process the enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2).
"This is the enzyme that triggers the inflammatory response," explains Professor Johansen. "We are currently conducting research on various molecules that we believe could arrest PLA2 activity, thus stopping the inflammatory response."
Professor Johansen and her colleagues have received funding from the Research Council of Norway's programmes Functional Genomics (FUGE) and User-driven Research-based Innovation (BIA).
Scientists in Denmark, France, Germany and Scotland have been involved in the research. "Relatively few scientists in Norway are working on this kind of research, so we have assembled international expertise. And we will continue working with many of the same experts in the future."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/220170.php