Both of the proteins are also known as BH3-only proteins and kill the self reactive cells through apoptosis or self death.
Lead researcher Dr Daniel Gray said that the death of these self reactive cells was necessary in order to prevent autoimmune diseases. "If any self-reactive cells manage to reach maturity, the body normally has a second safeguard of switching these potentially dangerous cells into an inactive state, preventing them from causing autoimmune disease. We were able to use this discovery to show that the death of self-reactive immune cells is indeed an important protection against autoimmune disease development", he said.
Source: Medindia
