An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives

by Matt Richtel

Of the five top-selling drugs on the market, three treat autoimmunity, including the world’s bestselling medication, Humira, used to suppress the immune system for treatment in a variety of illnesses. It boasts nearly $20 billion in annual sales.

The antibody-encoding genes are unlike all other normal genes.

The doctor injected himself with the blood of a sufferer of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, or ITP—a condition that causes excessive bruising and bleeding, leading to purplish spots or regions on everything from skin to tongue and lips. The condition is caused by a low level of platelets, which cause clotting, and the doctor and his colleagues surmised this was because the body’s own immune system was attacking the platelets.

the United States in 2015 sold 34 million pounds of antibiotics for use in “food-producing animals,” according to the FDA. That was around 80 percent of the antibiotics used in the United States altogether.

When you see a drug with mab on the end, you now know it stands for monoclonal antibody.