Sjogren's Syndrome Knowledge Base

The most recent issue of Sjogren's Quarterly included an article highlighting the formation of a new Sjogren's database:

by Sven-Ulrik Gorr, Seshagiri R. Nandula, and Trevor Wennblom, University of Minnesota; Sara Michie, Stanford University; Ammon B. Peck, University of Florida; Steve Horvath and David T.W. Wong, University of California at Los Angeles


A new database has just been launched to provide an easy-to-use and integrated Sjogren's Syndrome Knowledge Base (SSKB; http://sskb.umn.edu) is open for use by all researchers and the public at large and includes genes and proteins linked to Sjogren's. As founders of this tool, we hope and expect that it will have a profound impact on future research in this disease and ultimately stimulate the formulation and testing of new hypotheses and experimental approaches to investigations into Sjogren's. 
     Sjogren's syndrome and other autoimmune diseases are complex diseases that involve many events that lead to disease initiation and progression. In Sjogren's it is not clear how environmental triggering events combine with cellular and genetic factors to cause an immunologic attack on the salivary and tear glands that ultimately leads to the symptoms of dry mouth and dry eye. The observation that diagnosis often lags behind the onset of disease by a decade or more further complicates the understanding of disease initiation and progression. Thus, despite the substantial efforts by clinicians and researchers around the world, Sjogren's still presents many questions: how is the disease triggered, what is the contribution of genetic susceptibility, how can we improve diagnosis, and what is the optimal treatment for any individual patient? 

Excellent.

The Sjogren's Quarterly -- aimed at medical professionals and researchers -- is yet another amazing product of the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation.

Go. Join. Add your support to this most desperately needed research.