Here’s what the researchers think is going on. The ADGRE2 gene acts as the blueprints for the body to create ADGRE2 protein, which is present on the surface of many of the cells that regulate the immune system. If the gene is normal, the proteins can fit neatly into their designated spots on the cell membranes. But the mutation causes the ADGRE2 protein to be slightly less structurally stable. When vibrations hit the body, they break off part of this protein, causing those immune cells to act as though there’s something harmful in the body and to produce an immune response.