Bergithe Eikeland Oftedal says: “Autoimmune diseases affect up to 10% of us and is the fourth leading cause of disability in Europe. Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system fails and directs its attack against the body’s own tissue. This includes diseases like type 1 diabetes where the parathyroid gland is destroyed and Addison’s disease where the adrenals are attacked. Addison’s disease occurs when the immune system targets the hormone-producing cells in the adrenals. There is currently no cure, and the patients need daily substitution of the hormone cortisol as the disease is fatal if not treated promptly. We need more information about how the disease arises and how the immune system fails in order to provide better treatment and care. This project combines studies of genes and immune cells using one of the world’s largest pools of Addison’s disease patients. We will solve how genetic traits and specific cells of the immune system lead to disease, with the goal to find targeted treatment for this patient group.”