Many people around the globe suffer from an immune system that doesn't discern between healthy cells, invader bacteria and disease. They are being attacked by the disease defenses which were previously there to defend them.
This trend is being addressed by major international research initiatives. One example of this initiative is the London's Francis Crick Institute. Two world experts, James Lee (from the USA) and Carola Vinuesa (from Italy) have formed separate research groups in order to identify the exact causes.
Lee stated that cases of autoimmune disease are on the rise since around 40 years ago, in the west. However, we are now witnessing cases appear in countries that had never seen such diseases before.
For instance the Middle East/East Asia has seen the largest recent rise in the number of inflammatory bowel disease cases. The people there had never heard of the disease prior to.
Autoimmune diseases range from type 1 diabetes to multiple Sclerosis as well as chronic fatigue syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis. In each case the immune system is activated and its wires crossed and focuses towards healthy tissue, not the infectious agents.
The UK has at least 4,000,000 individuals suffering from these ailments. There are numerous others. In the world, it is believed that the amount of autoimmune disease is increasing by between 3 and 9 percent per year. This rise is thought to be due to environmental factors, as per the majority of scientists.
Lee, who was formerly situated in Cambridge University, stated that the human genetics haven't changed in the last couple of decades. Something must be happening outside that is increasing our chances of developing autoimmune disorders.
Vinuesa who was located at the Australian National University backed the concept. She discussed the shifts in diets that occurred as more countries adopted west-style diets and people were eating more fast-food items.
Diets that focus on fast food lack some vital ingredients, for instance fiber, and research suggests this alteration affects your microbiome, which is the micro-organisms we have in our digestive tract and that play a key role in regulating the various bodily functions, Vinuesa stated.
The changes in microbiomes can lead to autoimmune diseases. There are more than 100 types.
Both researchers emphasized that individual susceptibilities were involved in contracting diseases like these, which also include celiac disease as with lupus, which causes inflammation and swelling and can cause damage to various organs, including the heart.
"If you don't have particular genetic susceptibility it is unlikely that you will develop an auto-immune disease, no matter how many Big Macs you consume," said Vinuesa. "There's nothing we can prevent the world-wide growth of fast food franchises. Instead, we're working to understand how autoimmune diseases occur and what genetic pathways cause certain individuals to be more vulnerable than others. "We are trying to address the problem at this point."
This is made possible due to the development of techniques which allow scientists to identify tiny differences in DNA between large numbers of people. In this way, it is possible to identify common genetic patterns among those who suffer from an autoimmune condition.
Lee explained that the capability to sequence large quantities of DNA has revolutionized the entire process. We didn't have these tools until the last few years. Inflammatory bowel disease was only one of the variants that we could identify at the time I started my study. There are now more than 250.
The research at heart of Lee and Vinuesa's work that seek to figure out how these various genetic pathways operate and unravel the various types of disease doctors are now investigating. Vinuesa explained that autoimmune diseases like Lupus, for instance are present in many forms, and could have different genetic reasons. If you're trying find the most effective treatment for your condition it can become an issue.
We are blessed with a wealth of beneficial new treatments that are developing constantly, but we don't know the patients they should give these treatments to because we now realise we aren't sure of the type of disease they are suffering from. This is the aim of autoimmune research. To ensure that we provide the best therapy it is essential to be able group and categorize patients.
Lee said that the increasing prevalence of autoimmune diseases across the globe meant that innovative drugs and treatments were urgently Click here needed. There is currently no treatment for autoimmune disorders, which often occur in young peoplewho are trying to find their first job, complete school, and take care of their families.
This means that more people are going to need surgeryor be required to receive regular injections for the remainder of their lives. This can be very difficult for patients and put an enormous strain on health care systems. So, it is essential to come up with effective and novel methods of treatment.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. This means the immune system attacks healthy tissue. But, it's not known what triggers this.
The antibodies your immune system produces to fight bacteria and viruses are the ones you require to fight off infection.
If you have Rheumatoid Arthritis, your immune systems mistakenly releases antibodies into your Read More joint' lining, where they target the tissues around them.
This causes the thin cells-like layer of your joints (synovium), to get inflamed and sore, which releases chemicals that cause harm nearby.
bones
cartilage - the stretchy connective tissue that runs between bones
Tendons - connects muscle to bone
Ligaments - The tissue that connects cartilage to bone
These chemicals can lead to rheumatoid joints harm if it isn't addressed. The chemicals may eventually lead to the destruction of the joint in its entirety.
There are many theories about how the immune system can attack joints have been proposed including an infection acting as an underlying cause, however none of them has been proved.
Possible risk factors
Rheumatoid arthritis can result from a range of causes, including:
Genetics - Some evidence suggests that rheumatoid arthritis may be passed down in families. It is not likely that you will inherit the disease. Genetics are thought to play a small part in the.
The condition is more prevalent among women than in men. This may be due to the estrogen-related effects, however this isn't confirmed.
There is evidence that smokers are at greater risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis.