Vaccines train the immune system against pathogen invaders. But in autoimmune diseases, the immune system becomes the enemy. Scientists have now figured out a way to tamp down this self-destructive response in mice by attaching sugars to molecules that provoke immune cells. This ‘inverse vaccine’ could potentially lead to new ways to combat autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) lupus and Type I diabetes.

Luke O'Neill Professor of Biochemistry at the School of Immunology, Trinity College  brings us more details on this