Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a severe paediatric condition that follows SARS-CoV-2 infection. MIS-C manifests with widespread inflammation and has been linked to autoimmunity, but the exact mechanisms are not fully understood. A new study published in Nature highlights molecular mimicry, whereby the immune system mistakenly attacks self-proteins that resemble viral proteins, as an important factor in MIS-C development.
Notably, the SNX8-targeting autoantibodies recognized a particular epitope within SNX8 and showed cross-reactivity with a domain of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein that shared remarkable sequence similarity. Many of the individuals with MIS-C also had clonally expanded cytotoxic T cells that were cross-reactive to both SNX8 and the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein.
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