autoimmune
adjective
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Any healthy body produces a variety of antibodies, proteins in the blood whose job is to protect the body from unwanted bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. The cells and organs that deal with such infections make up the immune system. In some people and animals, for various reasons, the antibodies become overactive and turn on the body's healthy tissues as well; the result is an autoimmune disease—an immune response directed against one's own self. More than eighty autoimmune diseases have been identified, the best-known being type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Examples of autoimmune in a Sentence
Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease when the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.
—Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 24 June 2024
As there is no cure for SPS, treatment plans are typically centered around immunotherapy — targeting the underlying autoimmune disease — and symptomatic therapy.
—Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 16 June 2024
Systemic lupus erythematosus, simply referred to as lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's immune system attacks its own healthy tissues, according to the National Institutes of Health.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 6 June 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'autoimmune.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Autoimmune.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autoimmune. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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autoimmune
adjective
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autoimmune
adjective
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