Reports, scientific articles and discoveries
MOGAD & AntiGAD : CHUL QUEBEC Luc Vallières
January 13, 2026
A research team develops a new drug that blocks antibodies involved in a multiple sclerosis-like disease: MOGAD
A breakthrough to watch for anti-GAD diseases such as stiff-person syndrome (SPS)
2025 Nobel Prize in Medecine
🧬 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine: Protecting Our Bodies from Themselves Scientists have won the Nobel Prize for discovering how to prevent the immune system from attacking our own bodies. They identified regulatory T cells (Tregs), which act as guardians, protecting our tissues and preventing autoimmune diseases. This discovery paves the way for new treatments for diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and many other diseases. 💡 A major breakthrough for the future of health and medicine!
Unsuspected role of blood platelets in rheumatoid arthritis
Platelets play a key, and until now unsuspected, role in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, an international team of a dozen Quebec researchers has discovered. In short, the researchers found that platelets help white blood cells infiltrate a joint, where they cause chronic inflammation. "We are positioning platelets as an essential player where, in their absence, white blood cells are unable to bind to antibodies," said Professor Éric Boilard of the Faculty of Medicine at Université Laval, explaining the crucial role platelets play in the process.
A discovery of markers for Lupus - CHUL Quebec
January 6, 2026
Lupus: Markers discovered to identify patients at highest risk An international team has discovered three markers that make it possible to determine, at the time of diagnosis, the risk of systemic lupus progressing to a severe form of the disease
ALS: an autoimmune disease?
Researchers have discovered compelling evidence that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may not simply be a degenerative disease of nerve cells, but also an autoimmune disease. In the study, they found that immune cells called CD4+ T lymphocytes in ALS patients target a neuron-associated protein known as T-cell protein. These T lymphocytes behaved as if they were attacking the body itself rather than a foreign invader, which is a key hallmark of autoimmune disease.
The research team grouped patients into two types based on their immune cell profile. One group exhibiting aggressive inflammatory T-cell responses tended to have shorter survival times. The other group had higher levels of regulatory or anti-inflammatory CD4+ T cells and lived longer. This suggests that the balance between harmful immune responses and protective immune regulation influences the progression of ALS.
Looking ahead, the findings open a new avenue for treatment. If we can strengthen protective immune cells or suppress harmful cells, this could slow the disease.
document de recherche 📄
DOI : 10.1038/s41586-025-09588-6
Céline Dion : Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS)
This intimate documentary explores the singer's life and her battle against stiff person syndrome, a rare disease.
Delaying antibodies in type 1 diabetes
AFP
Monday, January 12, 2026
The European Commission has just approved the marketing in the European Union of a Sanofi treatment, called "Teizeild," which slows the progression of type 1 diabetes, the French pharmaceutical giant announced Monday in a press release.
The cells of the child and the mother: an essential balance
Truly fascinating! The child's and mother's cells maintain a balance throughout our lives, unless the LysM⁺ CD11c⁺ cells are suppressed, at which point the balance is disrupted. Understanding the role of maternal cells could revolutionize our understanding of autoimmune diseases and improve immune regulation strategies.
Regenerating Myelin with the K102 molecule
🧠🧬 MYELIN and the K102 Molecule
A newly discovered molecule helps repair myelin and restore nerve function in multiple sclerosis.
Researchers have identified a small molecule, K102, which has demonstrated an impressive ability to repair myelin. This protective sheath of the nerves is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS). Unlike current therapies that simply suppress immune attacks, K102 promotes the maturation of the cells that rebuild this sheath (oligodendrocytes) and offers a dual action: remyelination and immune balancing. In preclinical studies on animal models and human stem cells, K102 not only promoted myelin repair but also improved visual and motor functions. These promising results make it one of the most advanced candidates for regenerative therapy for MS to date.
Although this research is still in its early stages, it marks a major shift in strategy: moving from simply limiting damage to true repair. If clinical trials are successful, this approach could one day make it possible to restore lost functions, rather than simply preventing their decline.
Article de recherche 📄
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-20254-9
Type 1 Diabetes: Reactivating a Beta Gene
A Breakthrough in Type 1 Diabetes Research Our bodies control blood sugar levels with a hormone called insulin, which is made by beta cells in the pancreas. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakenly attacks these beta cells, and the body cannot produce enough insulin to properly regulate blood sugar. But researchers have now found that disabling a gene in the beta cells can prevent the development of type 1 diabetes in a mouse model predisposed to the disease.
Increase in inflammatory bowel diseases
IT'S A GLOBAL EPIDEMIC": INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES ARE GAINING GROUND WITHOUT DOCTORS KNOWING WHY
A new therapy for multiple sclerosis is being tested in Quebec City.
A man from Quebec has become the first Canadian patient to receive treatment to control the disease.
A new Canadian tool to detect bowel disease more quickly
Engineered gut bacteria act as biosensors to detect intestinal diseases
Delay in studies on women's health
Lack of awareness about women's health: a study highlights avoidable diagnostic delays
It's important to remember that autoimmune diseases affect 70-80% of women! This reality needs to be brought to light.