Worldwide, more and more people are suffering from the failure of their immune systems to differentiate between healthy cells or invaders microorganisms. Instead of protecting them from illness the organs and tissues are being attacked by these same defenses.
A major international effort in research is in progress to reverse this trend. An initiative based in London called the Francis Crick Institute, has two world-class experts. James Lee & Carola Vinuesa set up separate research teams to find the causes behind the autoimmune condition.
Lee told the Observer the Observer that autoimmune diseases have increased in western countries around 40 years back. However, these diseases are now showing up in nations that haven't seen them before.
The Middle East and East Asia are experiencing the greatest increase in cases of inflammatory bowel disorders. The patients had never encountered the disease prior to.
Type 1 diabetes can be caused by rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. In each of these cases the immune system is activated and its wires crossed, and it turns to healthy tissues instead of infective agents.
The UK is home to at least 4,000,000 individuals suffering from these ailments. There are also numerous others. Internationally, it is now believed that the incidence of autoimmune illnesses are increasing by 3% to 9% a year. Numerous scientists believe that environmental factors are a key factor in this rise.
Lee who used to be located in Cambridge University, stated that human genetics have not changed over the past few years. Therefore, something is changing out there and it's increasing our susceptibility to autoimmune disease.
This notion was endorsed by Vinuesa, who was previously located at the Australian National University. She highlighted changes in diet that were occurring as more and more countries adopted western-style diets and consumers bought more fast food.
Vinuesa stated that the lack of certain important ingredients in fast food can cause a reduction in the intake of essential nutrients, such as fibre.
The changes in our microbiomes trigger autoimmune disorders that are of more than 100 types.
The two scientists emphasized that there are individual susceptibilities to such illnesses. This includes celiac as well as Lupus. It causes inflammation, swelling, and can cause death and damage to various organs, such as the heart.
Vinuesa stated "If you don’t have a genetic susceptibility to autoimmune illnesses, you won’t necessarily get one, regardless of the amount of Big Macs you eat." There is no way to stop the proliferation of fast-food establishments all over the world. Instead, we're working to understand how autoimmune diseases occur and what genetic pathways make certain people more susceptible than others. We're determined to tackle this issue at the most fundamental degree.
The advancement of technology allows us to detect tiny variations in DNA between large groups of people. It is possible to determine common genetic patterns between people suffering from an autoimmune condition.
Lee explained that we didn't have the tools to sequence DNA until recently. However, now we do have the incredible capability to sequence DNA on large scales, which has made a huge difference in our lives. My study revealed that there were around six DNA variants that Click here were involved in the development of inflammatory bowel disease. Over 250 of them are recognized.
Lee and Vinuesa have a particular focus of their energies on this type of research. They seek to understand more about genetic pathways that are involved and determine the causes of various diseases they are studying. If you look at some immune-mediated diseases, such as Lupus, for instance - it's become clear recently there are many different versions of themthat could be caused by various genetic pathways, said Vinuesa. It is important to understand the implications of this in determining the best treatment.
While there are a myriad of beneficial new treatments in the pipeline however, we're not sure which people they ought to be given to. This is due to the fact that we don't really know the specific type of condition. That's a key goal for the research into autoimmune diseases. In order to provide the appropriate treatment, we need to learn how to categorize patients.
Lee explained that the increasing incidence of autoimmune disease around the globe means that new treatments and medications are needed now more than ever. According to Lee, today there's no treatment for autoimmune diseases. They usually occur in young adults trying to finish their education and find work.
This means that a growing number of people are Check out having to have surgery or will require injections regularly throughout their entire lives. It's a bleak time for patients as well as a significant pressure on health services. We require innovative and effective treatment methods.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an immuno-mediated condition. But, we don't know what triggers it.
The immune system naturally produces antibodies to combat bacteria and viruses.
If you suffer from rheumatoid disease, your immune system misdirectly releases antibodies to the lining of your joint, where they attack tissues surrounding it.
This causes the thin layer, or synovium, of cells that cover your joints to become swollen. It also releases chemicals that could cause injury nearby.
bones
Cartilage - The connective tissue that joins bones and cartilage
Tendons - The tissue that connects muscle and bone
Ligaments - The ligaments - The tissue that connects bone to cartilage
Rheumatoid arthritis can be treated but it is not treated. The chemicals that cause it cause the joint to become unbalanced and distorted. It can eventually cause the total destruction of the joint.
There are a myriad of theories on why the immune system attacks your joints, including the possibility of an infection as a trigger. But none of these theories have been confirmed as true.
Possible risk factors
You could be at greater risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis if you do not take the following steps:
The genes. There are some signs that arthritis rheumatoid may be a family trait. However, since genes play only a small part in the course of development and progression, there's a low risk of the disease being passed to the next generation.
Hormones are responsible for causing arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is now more common than ever in women, possibly due to the hormone effects of oestrogen. The link, however is not proven.
Smoking is a risk factor - Research suggests that those who smoke are more likely develop rheumatoidarthritis.