Worldwide, more people suffer from the inability of their immune systems to distinguish between healthy cells or invading microorganisms. They are being attacked by the defense mechanisms that were previously used to protect them.
International research efforts are intensifying to combat this trend. One instance is the London Francis Crick Institute initiative which James Lee and Carola Vinesa, two world experts in the area, have formed separate research groups to help to determine the exact causes of autoimmune disorders.
Lee said that autoimmune cases are increasing since the past 40 years in the West. New cases are being reported in countries where these conditions have not been seen before.
The Middle East and East Asia have seen the highest rise in the incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases. Prior to that, they had never seen the disease.
Type 1 diabetes is among the autoimmune disorders. Other conditions include rheumatoid disease, inflammation of the bowel, and multiple sclerosis. In each of these cases the immune system has its wires crossed and turns towards healthy tissue, not the infectious agents.
These ailments have been documented by as many as 4 million people in the UK. Some sufferers may suffer from more than one. Globally, it's estimated that cases of autoimmune illnesses are increasing between 3% and 9 percent per year. The majority of scientists believe that environmental factors play a key role in this rise.
Lee, who was formerly located in Cambridge University, stated that human genetics have not changed over the past few years. It appears that something is taking place in the outside world that is increasing our susceptibility to autoimmune disease.
This idea was backed by Vinuesa who was based at the Australian National University. She pointed out the changes in food habits as more countries adopted western-style eating habits and people ate much more fast-food.
Vinuesa says that many fast-food products lack essential ingredients such as fibre. This alteration may affect the microbiome of a person, which is the collection of micro-organisms that are found in our bodies, and which plays a critical part in regulating various bodily functions.
These changes to our microbiomes then cause autoimmune diseases, of which there are over 100 different types.
The scientists both stressed the importance of individual susceptibilities in acquiring such diseases. Lupus and celiac disease are two additional conditions that can trigger swelling and inflammation that could lead to damage to various organs, which includes your heart.
Vinuesa said "If you don't have a genetic susceptibility to autoimmune illnesses, you won’t necessarily get one, no matter how many Big Macs your eat." "There isn't much that we can do to slow the global spread of fast-food franchises. Instead, we're working to understand how autoimmune diseases can be caused and the genetic factors that cause certain individuals to be more vulnerable to the disease than others. That is the level that we are aiming to tackle this problem."
Scientists have the capability to spot tiny variations in DNA between large numbers of people. This is made possible by the use of the development of new methods. This is how it is possible to identify the common genetic patterns of those suffering from an auto immune disease.
Up until recently we did not have the tools to do this, however, we're in a position to analyze DNA on a massive scale. This has completely changed everything, according to Lee. We only knew about half a dozen variants of DNA that can trigger intestinal inflammation Click here when I began my research. Now we know of over 250.
The research at heart of Lee and Vinuesa's efforts that aim to find out how the various genetic pathways operate and unravel the various types of diseases that doctors are currently investigating. If you look at some autoimmune diseases - for example the lupus disease - it's been made clear that there are a variety of different forms of themthat could be caused by different genetic pathways, said Vinuesa. If you're trying to determine the most effective treatment it can become an issue.
Although there are many potentially effective new therapies in development however, we're not sure which people they ought to be given to. This is because we do not know the specific type of condition. This is a major goal in autoimmune research. To ensure that we provide the best therapy it is essential to be able to group and stratify patients.
Lee said that the increasing rate of autoimmune illnesses across the world meant that new treatment and drugs were needed urgently. It's not possible to treat autoimmune illnesses. It happens when young people are trying to finish college or get their first job and start families.
This means that a rising number of people have surgery or need regular injections for the rest of their lives. It can be grim for patients as well as a significant pressure on health services. We require new and efficient treatments.
Rheumatoid is an autoimmune condition. It is a condition where the immune system attacks healthy tissues. It's still not identified what causes this.
The antibodies that your immune system makes to attack viruses and bacteria are the ones you require to fight off infection.
If you have Rheumatoid Arthritis Your immune system mistakenly sends antibodies into your joints the lining of your joints, and they target the tissues around them.
The thin layer of cells (synovium) that cover your joints, is prone to inflammation and swollen.
bones
Cartilage is the connective tissue stretchy that connects bones
Tendons - The tissue that connects muscle to bone
ligaments - the tissue which connects cartilage to bone
These chemicals can lead to rheumatoid joints harm if it isn't addressed. It can eventually destroy the joint.
There have been a variety of theories on how the immune system targets joints. For instance, an infection might be a trigger. However none theory is proved.
Possible risk factors
There are many things that may increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, including:
The genes you carry - There is some evidence that the rheumatoid arthritis condition can be passed down through families. However, the probability of it being passed on to children is not high since genes only play an important role in the condition.
Hormone-Rheumatoid Ailment is more frequent among women than in men. This may be due to estrogenic effects, but it isn't proven.
smoking - some evidence suggests that people who smoke have an increased Click here risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.