Amy Proal on Viral and Bacterial Metagenome

Just watched a really interesting talk by Amy Proal about how the interaction and symbiosis (i.e. reinforcing relationship) between bacteria and viruses could lead to autoimmune disorders by interfering with Vitamin-D receptors (VDR's). I've embedded the video below, but here's a link to the post. It looks like she's working on some really interesting research.

The idea is that autoimmune disorders are caused by multiple bacteria and viruses working together to suppress the immune response. This causes a vicious cycle as it supports additional bacterial and viral infection. She suggests that traditional therapies like immunosuppression (which I have mentioned repeatedly seems counterintuitive) may actually prolong and worsen diseases in the long run. They have been working on alternative therapies that are meant to boost the innate immune response. Her blog seems pretty interesting as well, so worth a look as well: http://bacteriality.com/.