Virus and Pathogenic Mechanisms in Autoimmune Diseases Towards Cure and prevention

Background Our group and in collaboration with international partners demonstrated a low-grade enteroviral infection and detection of several antiviral tissue responses in the insulin producing cells at the onset of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and thyroid tissue in autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). We will further expand gained knowledge to other autoimmune diseases.

Aims To study whether viruses act as triggers of the autoimmune destructive organ inflammation, and describe new pathogenic mechanisms in autoimmune diseases; type 1 diabetes (T1D), autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD), Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and autoimmune myositis (AIM).

Methods New biological material will be collected for detection of virus and viral footprints, search for genetic predisposing factors. In translation, we will follow up our previous work by translating discovery to clinical practice, double blind placebo controlled clinical trials with antiviral medication (DIVID and ThyrVINT).

News from 2021
We are continuously analyzing already collected material, while applying for further funding. Using new methods of culture of permissive cells with thyroid tissue from shows the presence of at least 1 virus in a large number of cases, mainly Enterovirus and Human Herpes virus 6 (HHV-6). (manuscript submitted)

Publications 2021
1. Weider T, Richardson SJ, Morgan NG, Paulsen TH, Dahl-Jørgensen K, Hammerstad SS. HLA Class I Upregulation and Antiviral Immune Responses in Graves Disease. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2021; Mar;106(4): e1763-e74.

2. Anello Marcello Poma, Sarah Salehi Hammerstad, Angelo Genoni, Alessio Basolo, Knut Dahl-Jorgensen, and Antonio Toniolo Immune Transcriptome of Cells Infected with Enterovirus Strains Obtained from Cases of Autoimmune Thyroid Disease, Microorganism, special issue 2021 Apr; 9(4): 876.

3. Hammerstad Sara Salehi, Celius Elisabeth G. Husby Henrik, Sørensen Ingvild M. and Norheim Ingrid. Management of Severe Graves’ Hyperthyroidism in Pregnancy Following Immune Therapy in multiple Sclerosis, Journal of the Endocrine Society, 2021 Mar 17;5(6)

4. L Sletner. AK Jenum, E Qvigstad, SS Hammerstad Thyroid function during pregnancy and postpartum in a multiethnic population in Oslo, Norway Journal of the Endocrine Society, 2021 May 4;5(7)

5. Betty Ann Bjerkreim, Sara Salehi Hammerstad, Hanne Løvdal Gulseth, Tore Julsrud Berg, Sindre Lee-Ødegård, Erik Fink Eriksen Effect of Liothyronine Treatment on Dermal Temperature and Activation of Brown Adipose Tissue in Female Hypothyroid Patients: A Randomized Crossover Study Front. Endocrinol., 19 November 2021

Primary investigator:
Sara S. Hammerstad

Co-investigators/participants:
Professor Emeritus Knut Dahl-Jørgensen
Lars Krogvold MD, PhD
Professor Emeritus Kristian Hanssen
Professor Øyvind Molberg
Asbjørn Christophersen MD, PhD
Professor Hilde Hammer
Trond Paulsen, MD
Therese Weider, PhD candidate
Ida Mynarek, PhD candidate

External collaborators:
Prof. Heikki Hyöty, Tampere, Finland
Prof. Yaron Tomer, New York, USA
Prof. Mathias Von Herrat, USA
Prof. Sara Richardson UK,
Professor Noel Morgan, UK
Prof. Antonio Toniolo, Italy