Mattias Magnusson

Attack vs. tolerance –the immune system fights disease and cancer and must avoid self tissue

The immune system is a powerful machinery that can eliminate invading pathogens and thereby maintain health. The eliminating force is however a double-edged sword that also can harm the host if the attack is directed towards self tissues. Such an attack is termed auto (self)- immunity and can ultimately lead to the development of autoimune disease. In autoimmune disease the immune system continously attacks self tissues resulting in malfunctioning or destruction of the affected organs. Among the common autoimmune diseases is rheumatoid arthritis, where the joints are under attack and type I diabetes, where the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are under attack.

In my research I study how arthritis can be initiated and how immune responses that can lead to arthritis can be deviated to remain quiscient, i.e., to develop tolerance against self tissues.

Research projects

Interferon-alpha as an anti-inflammatory modulator

The anti-inflammatory properties of interferon-alpha (IFNα) and IFNα-producing cells will be employed to inhibit arthritis. Systemic activation of IFNα inhibits development of joint inflammation but it is unknown how this is mediated by the immune system. Read more

Proinflammatory properties of interferon-alpha present in the joint

Many viral infections may lead to transient or chronic joint manifestations. One possible inflammatory mediator is the general viral molecule double-stranded RNA, present during replication of most viruses. Double-stranded RNA is a potent activator of interferon-alfa and this may lead to inflammation. Read more

Mattias Magnusson attended Uppsala University and Université de Poitiers, France for his undergraduate studies in molecular biology. In 2003 he defended his thesis on the immunomodulatory role of nucleic acids in autoimmune diseases and in vaccines, at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU, Uppsala). His postdoc period (2003-2009) Magnusson spent at the Sahlgrenska Academy, Göteborg University working on the role of viruses and antiviral defence in joint inflammation. In 2009 he became Associate Professor (docent) at Göteborg University. In 2009 Magnusson was appointed LiU-Research Assistant (Liu-FoAss) and is now working within the Autoimmunity & Immune Regulation unit at the Department of Clinical & Experimental Medicine (IKE).