Autoimmunity

/ˌɔːtoʊɪˈmjuːnɪti/ noun

A condition where your immune system mistakenly attacks and damages your own body's cells and tissues instead of protecting you from foreign invaders.

From Greek 'auto' (self) and Latin 'immunitas' (exemption). The medical term was formally introduced in the 1950s-60s as immunology advanced enough to understand self-directed immune responses.

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