Misbehaving “Killer” Cells Accelerate Progress of Autoimmune Disease
In 1998, scientists studying rheumatoid arthritis observed a population of immune cells that weren’t behaving the way they were supposed to. Immunologists noted the strange phenomenon, but decided not to pursue the subject further, and the cells were soon forgotten.
But interest in these cells has swelled over the past few years as they’ve been found in patients with chronic viral infections and cancer.