Around the world, people suffer more from pain due to the fact that their immune systems can't distinguish between healthy cells and invader microorganisms. They are being attacked with the defenses against disease that were once there to protect them.
International research is being undertaken to counter this trend. This includes an initiative at London’s Francis Crick Institute where two world-class experts, James Lee, and Carola Vinuesa, have formed separate research groups that will determine the causes behind autoimmune disorders.
The number of cases of autoimmune diseases began to increase about 40 years ago in the west, Lee told the Observer. However, these diseases are now appearing in countries that have never experienced them before.
For instance, the largest recent increase in cases of inflammatory bowel diseases has occurred located in the Middle East and east Asia. They had never seen the condition before.
Autoimmune disorders can vary from type 1 diabetes to multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. Each case is different. In all cases the immune system is crossing its wires, and it switches to healthy tissues instead of infectious agents.
About four million people living in the UK suffer from these conditions. Others may suffer more than one. It is widely believed that the incidence of autoimmune disease is increasing by 3 to 9 percent each year. Numerous scientists believe that environmental factors are a major reason for this increase.
Lee who was previously employed in Cambridge University, said that the human genetic makeup hasn't changed in the last few decades. There's something else that's responsible for our predisposition to autoimmune disease.
Vinuesa an ex-student at the Australian National University, supported this idea. She discussed the shifts in food habits that took place as more countries adopted west-style diets and people were eating more fast-food items.
Vinuesa noted that fast-food dishes contain a few essential ingredients, like fiber. Evidence suggests that this alteration can influence the microbiome of an individual which is the accumulation of microorganisms living in our gut. These microorganisms play an crucial role in controlling many bodily functions.
These changes to our microbiomes trigger autoimmune disorders that are of more than 100 kinds.
Both researchers stressed the fact that each person is susceptible to these illnesses. This includes celiac, as well as Lupus. It causes inflammation and swelling, and could cause harm and even death to many organs, including heart.
Vinuesa states that a person who doesn't suffer from a genetic susceptibility will not get an autoimmune disorder regardless of how many Big Macs they eat. "There's no thing we can prevent the world-wide growth of fast food franchises. Instead we're trying to unravel the genetic mechanisms that underpin the autoimmune diseases that make certain people more susceptible than others. We're trying to solve the issue at that level."
Modern technology allows us to spot tiny differences in DNA between large groups of individuals. This is the way it's possible identify common genetic patterns for people with an auto-immune disease.
Lee explained that we did not have the technology to sequence DNA prior to. But, today we have the amazing ability to sequence DNA on large scales, which is a major improvement to our daily lives. We only knew about half dozen variations of DNA that can trigger inflammation in the bowel when I began my research. More than 250 are known.
This is the heart of Lee's and Vinuesa’s work. They are trying to understand the different ways that genetic pathways work and to discover the different kinds of diseases that doctors are currently studying. Vinuesa explained that there may be multiple variants of diseases that are autoimmune, such as Lupus. It is an issue when you are trying to determine the best treatment.
Numerous new treatments are being developed and we don't know who to recommend these treatments to. Because we don’t know the exact cause of their illness, there are many possibilities. That is the goal of research on autoimmune disease. To ensure that we deliver the best treatment it is essential to be able group and categorize patients.
Lee also stated that there are more autoimmune illnesses than ever before, and that new therapies and medications are urgently needed. According to Lee, currently there is no cure for autoimmune disorders. They typically occur in young adults trying to finish their education and get an employment.
This means that more patients are scheduled for surgery or require regular injections for the remainder of their lives. This can be a very difficult time for patients and also puts an enormous strain on the health system. It is imperative to find innovative methods that are more effective and efficient.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease. It's caused when the immune system targets rheumatoid arthritis treatment guidelines healthy body tissue. But it isn't yet clear what causes it.
The antibodies your immune system makes to attack bacteria and viruses is what you need to fight infections.
If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system misdirectly issuing antibodies towards the joint's lining, where they attack surrounding tissue.
This causes the thin, cell-like layer covering your joints (synovium), to get inflamed and sore, which releases chemicals that can cause harm to the area.
bones
cartilage is the connective tissue between bones
Tendons connect bone to muscles
Ligaments form the connective tissue that connects bone and cartilage.
If the problem isn't treated, it could result in the loss of alignment and form. The joint can end up being destroyed. joint.
Though there are many theories on how the immune system is attacking joints, none have been confirmed.
Possible risk factors
You may be at a higher the risk of developing rheumatoidarthritis when you perform the following:
The genes. There are Read More some signs that arthritis rheumatoid may be a family trait. However, since genes play a tiny part in the condition's development, there is little risk of the disease being passed to the next generation.
hormones. Rheumatoid arthritis is more common in women than men, which could be due to impacts of the hormone oestrogen although this link has not been established.
Smoking is a major risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis. There is evidence to support this.