The same yeast you use to bake bread or brew beer might be the secret trigger for a nasty autoimmune disease.
March 20, 2026
Original Paper
Clonal autoantibodies identify microbial antigen as trigger of autoreactive B cells in systemic sclerosis
bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.03.17.712484
The Takeaway
Researchers found that in patients with systemic sclerosis, the immune system mistakes its own proteins for those found in common yeast. This 'friendly fire' suggests that a simple fungal infection could be the spark that leads the body to permanently attack its own skin and organs.
From the abstract
Objectives Transformative observations demonstrate unprecedented success of B cell-depleting interventions in many human autoimmune diseases, calling for a deeper understanding of the triggers leading to B cell-mediated autoimmunity and its perpetuation in human disease. Here, we investigated whether the autoreactive B cell response targeting human topoisomerase 1 (TOP1), a hallmark of systemic sclerosis, could cross-react with TOP1 of microbial origin. Methods Homologies between human and micro