Research Confirms Narcolepsy Is an Autoimmune Disorder
Ground-breaking research published in Nature Genetics on Sunday, May 3, 2009 proves what has long been suspected: the immune system plays a key role in the development of narcolepsy. A team of international researchers led by Emmanuel Mignot, MD, PhD, and Director of Stanford’s Center for Narcolepsy has found a tight association between narcolepsy and a genetic mutation in T cells, the immune system’s vehicle for identifying and attacking foreign bodies. Further research is needed to determine exactly how this mutation leads to narcolepsy.
The research behind this highly technical article, titled, “Narcolepsy is strongly associated with the T-cell receptor alpha locus” is based on a Genome-Wide Association Study in which DNA samples from over 800 patients with narcolepsy and cataplexy were analyzed. “At last, we now know for sure narcolepsy involves the immune system. This is opening the door for preventive therapies,” says Dr. Mignot. The implications of this research go well beyond the narcolepsy field. As the first of its kind to link a disorder associated with the immune system to the T cell alpha locus, it provides a model for the study of over 100 other similarly associated disorders including juvenile diabetes and multiple sclerosis.
This research would not have been possible without the cooperation of narcolepsy patients. The article’s credits state “We are most indebted to all the participants of the study, most notably the subjects with narcolepsy.”
Many more blood samples are needed from narcolepsy patients to further this and other ongoing research. Blood can be drawn locally and returned by mail. To participate, contact Mali Einen, Clinical Research Coordinator at the Canter for Narcolepsy at (650) 721-7550 or einen@stanford.edu. If you do not experience clear-cut cataplexy, copies of your overnight polysomnogram and MSLT must also be provided.
The next issue of Narcolepsy Network’s quarterly newsletter, The Network, scheduled to be mailed to dues-paying members later this month, will feature a patient-friendly article by Dr. Mignot on this latest finding.