The Double Edge Sword of Immunity: Exploring the Connections Between Malarial Risk and Lupus Vulnerability

Abstract

Investigating the geographic, systemic, and mechanistic overlaps between malaria and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an interesting example of how even diseases with different causes are highly intertwined. Malaria is a disease that has existed for many centuries, imposing a selective pressure on the human genome that has induced stronger immune reactions. SLE is an autoimmune disease, with a fairly elusive etiology that similarly affects populations globally. This thesis performs a comprehensive review of existing literature and genetic studies to highlight the shared immune mechanisms that underlie these diseases despite their seemingly distinct origins. And by highlighting these overlaps we begin to elucidate the nuanced relationship between autoimmune and infectious diseases, as shaped by centuries of evolution and selective pressures. This exploration is crucial for contextualizing the immune dysregulation that characterizes autoimmune diseases as a trade-off of circumstantial, yet historic, adaptations. By recognizing this trade-off, we can view immunity less as an isolated system, and more as a product of history, thereby explaining its imperfectness. It encourages readers and researchers alike to constantly question simplistic assumptions of immunity as being either entirely protective or defective and calls for a greater integration of evolutionary and even ecological principles in healthcare and disease management.