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Autoimmune disease

Conditions in which the immune system attacks and destroys healthy cells and tissues.

Autoimmune diseases occur when an individual's own immune system attacks and destroys the healthy cells and tissues. In MS, the autoimmune response leads to attacks on myelin, which is the protective coating that covers the nerves within the central nervous system (CNS).

References:
MS Trust. Autoimmunity. Available at: https://www.mstrust.org.uk/a-z/autoimmunity. Accessed April 2020
Lettre, G and Rioux, J. Human Molecular Genetics, Volume 17, Issue R2, 15 October 2008, Pages R116–R121, https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddn246. Accessed April 2020
National MS Society. What is an immune-mediated disease? Available at: https://www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS/Definition-of-MS/Immune-mediated-disease. Accessed April 2020