The immune system of many people are unable to differentiate between healthy cells from invading micro-organisms. This is creating more suffering across the globe. They are being attacked by defenses against disease which were designed to defend the body from infection.
International research efforts are accelerating to counter this trend. One illustration is the London Francis Crick Institute initiative where James Lee and Carola Vinesa two experts from around the world in this field, have created separate research groups to assist in determining the exact causes of autoimmune disorders.
Lee stated that cases of autoimmune disease are on the rise since around 40 years ago in the West. But, we're now seeing some emerge in countries that never had the disease before.
For instance, the largest recent spike in the number of inflammatory bowel disease cases is in the Middle East and east Asia. They'd never seen the disease prior to.
Type 1 diabetes is among the autoimmune diseases. Other ailments include rheumatoid, inflammation of the bowel, and multiple sclerosis. In all cases, the immune system is triggered to attack healthy tissues and not on infectious agents.
The UK is home to at least 4,000,000 patients suffering from these diseases. There are many other. Internationally, it is currently estimated that the incidence of autoimmune diseases is rising at the rate of 3%-9% per annum. Numerous scientists believe that environmental factors are a major reason for this increase.
Lee who worked previously at Cambridge University, said that the human genetic makeup hasn't changed in the last decade. Thus, something is changing in our body, which can increase our risk of developing an autoimmune disease.
Vinuesa was the person who supported this idea. Vinuesa was previously at the Australian National University. She emphasized that the changes in diets were occurring when more nations adopted Western-style eating habits, and more people were buying fast food items.
Vinuesa says that many fast-food products lack essential ingredients such as fibre. This alteration may affect one's microbiome that is the accumulation of of micro-organisms that are found in our bodies, and that play a crucial role in controlling different bodily functions.
These changes in microbiomes lead to autoimmune disorders. There are over 100 different types.
Both scientists said that individuals are susceptible to getting these diseases. These include celiac as well as Lupus, which can cause inflammation and swelling and result in harm to various organs, including the heart.
Vinuesa said that "If you don't have a genetic predisposition to autoimmune disorders, you won’t necessarily get one, regardless of how many Big Macs your eat." "There isn't much that we can do to slow the global spread of fast-food franchises. Instead, our focus is in understanding the genetic causes that cause autoimmune diseases and the reasons why certain people are susceptible while others are not. That's the level where we plan to tackle this problem."
Modern techniques mean that scientists are now able to identify small variations in DNA that exist among a large number of people. This makes it possible to determine common genetic patterns in individuals suffering from an autoimmune disease.
Lee said that we didn't have the technology to sequence DNA prior to. In the present, we do have the incredible ability to sequence DNA on massive scales, which has made a huge difference to our daily lives. When I first began doing research, we knew about half a dozen DNA variations that could trigger inflammatory bowel disease. More than 250 are now identified.
The research at core of Lee and Vinuesa's work that seek to figure out how these different genetic pathways work and decipher the various types of disease doctors are now studying. Vinuesa said that there are many variations of autoimmune diseases, including Lupus. If you're trying to determine the most effective treatment for your condition, this could be a problem.
We have lots of potentially beneficial therapies being developed constantly however, we aren't sure what patients to recommend them to, because we've realized that we don't know for certain which version of the disease they are suffering from. This is a crucial goal in the field of autoimmune research. So that we can provide the best therapy it is essential to be able group and stratify patients.
Lee said that with the rising incidence of auto-immune diseases around the world, new treatments and medicines are required more urgently than ever. It's impossible to treat autoimmune illnesses. This is especially true when young people are trying to complete their college education and get their first job, and have families.
That means growing Click here numbers of people face surgery or will be required to receive regular injections for the remainder of their lives. This can be very difficult for patients, and put a massive strain on healthcare services. This is why it is imperative to discover new, efficient treatment options.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. It is caused by the immune system attacks healthy tissue in the body. But, we don't know what triggers it.
The antibodies your immune system produces to fight bacteria and viruses is essential to fight infections.
If you suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis the immune system releases antibodies into your joint in the lining, which attack the surrounding tissues.
This causes the thin layer of cells (synovium) that cover the joints to become painful and inflamed, releasing chemicals that damage nearby:
bones
Cartilage is the connective tissue between bones that is composed of cartilage.
Tendons are the connective tissue between bone and muscles.
Ligaments are the connective tissue that connects cartilage and bone.
If rheumatoid joint disease isn't treated, these chemicals slowly cause the joint to change shape and alignment. Eventually, it can ruin the joint completely.
There have been a variety of theories as to how the immune system fights joints. One theory is that an infection could trigger. However, none of these theories have been proved.
Possible risk factors
Rheumatoid arthritis can result from a number of reasons, such as:
Your genes - Some evidence suggests that rheumatoid arthritis can be passed down in families. It is unlikely that you'll inherit the condition. Genes are thought to play a small part in the.
Hormones Rheumatoid arthritis can be more common for women than men. Though this could be due to the effect of the Read More hormone oestrogen has on the body, it hasn't been confirmed.
Smoking cigarettes - Smoking increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.