Fully automated diagnostic techniques, including liquid handling robots, are poised to improve the lives of millions of people living with inflammatory diseases worldwide. A landmark WEHI study has revealed new methods in detecting necroptosis, a key factor in many inflammatory diseases like psoriasis, arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. The findings mark a huge leap forward in our ability to diagnose necroptosis accurately.
They also offer practical methods that can be easily reproduced in hospitals worldwide, giving hope for new ways to treat inflammatory diseases. Necroptosis, a type of cell death associated with inflammation, has long been suspected as the 'culprit' driving many debilitating diseases associated with gut, skin, and lung conditions. However, identifying which cells undergo necroptosis in real-life situations has been difficult.
WEHI's Dr. Andre Samson, co-leader of the study, said the findings had cracked a challenging and hotly debated area of science. "It is so exciting to finally be able to catch necroptosis in the act," Dr.
Samson said. The new methods precisely located necroptosis in patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, providing critical insights into how this cell death process contributes to various inflammatory diseases. The findings further revealed that necroptosis responds not just to inflammation, but also to bacterial changes or immune issues.
Among other results, we also found that when proteins like Caspase-8 cluster to.