The Power of Pyrin

Inflammation, fever, and severe pain – a combination of these symptoms that could be ascribed to a wide range of conditions, which is why patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) can remain undiagnosed for years. But despite the difficulty in identifying it, FMF remains the most common monogenic autoinflammatory disease in the world. That’s why scientists at VIB Leuven and Ghent University have collaborated to create a diagnostic tool to detect it (1). To find out more about the test, we spoke with Mohammed Lamkanfi, lead investigator and Professor at Ghent University.

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References

1. H Von Gorp et al., “Familial Mediterranean fever mutations lift the obligatory requirement for microtubules in pyrin inflammasome activation”, PNAS, [Epub ahead of print] (2016). PMID: 27911804.

About the Authors

William Aryitey

My fascination with science, gaming, and writing led to my studying biology at university, while simultaneously working as an online games journalist. After university, I travelled across Europe, working on a novel and developing a game, before finding my way to Texere. As Associate Editor, I’m evolving my loves of science and writing, while continuing to pursue my passion for gaming and creative writing in a personal capacity.

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