AIM2 and nephritis: Furthermore, the up-regulation of the inflammasome-activating DNA sensor absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) in a mouse model of lupus and in patients with SLE-associated nephritis (Roberts et al., 2009; Kimkong et al., 2009) and the presence of anti-DNA-PK and anti-RNA-Pol III antibodies in patients with SLE and systemic sclerosis (Cavazzana et al., 2008, 2009) makes the link between DNA sensing and autoimmune disorders worthy of further investigation.