Chinese Academy of Sciences Apr 7 2025 Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects millions worldwide, especially women, causing unrelenting dryness of the mouth and eyes. These symptoms severely impact daily life — making it hard to speak, eat, or sleep. Though doctors have long known the immune system targets the body's own moisture-producing glands, the exact mechanism that shuts down saliva production remained a mystery. Scientists had clues that intercellular "zipper-