'Junk DNA' could be key to treating diseases

Medical researchers at the Australian National University have discovered how genetic material previously referred to as so-called 'junk DNA' could help treat auto-immune diseases.

One in eight Australians suffers from auto-immune diseases like type 1 diabetes or lupus.

Senior medical research fellow Carola Vinuesa says the discovery could change the way patients are treated.

"We might have treatments that actually hopefully might actually cure disease rather than just treating some symptoms," she said.

"We might be able to prevent diseases from progressing."

Dr Vinuesa says the research could lead to more specific therapies.

"At the moment treatments are going to knock off the whole immune system and that's the current treatments like using high doses of steroids or the strong drugs we use to treat lupus which is very non-specific," she said.

"So hopefully using this more targeted treatments they will be able to treat the diseases in a way that they suffer less from the side effects."

Professor Chris Goodnow says it could be years till treatment stemming from the research is available.

"This is a major advance but in terms of 'here's something that can go in the bottle' that we know is safe and effective, the shortest you can do that from discovery to is rarely less than 10 years," he said.

"It's the only way to work well and work safely in the translation phase."