What happens when the immune system goes rogue?

When the immune functions well, it activates a variety of processes to protect us against deadly threats, such as invading microbes and cellular disease. But what happens when the immune system goes rogue and attacks the body it’s meant to defend? That's the essence of autoimmune disease-a person's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in their body.
Immune systems go off course more often than one might think. In fact, approximately 10% of the population suffers from some form of autoimmune disorder. Betty Diamond is an immunologist who's working to uncover a deeper mechanistic understanding of autoimmune disorders in an effort to improve the lives of people suffering from these diseases. Tune in to Betty’s 2017 TEDMED Talk to learn more about how her patient-centered studies are not only revealing valuable new insights, but also empowering patients to play a leading role in the research into autoimmune diseases.