A lot of people across the world are suffering with an immune system that doesn't distinguish between healthy cells, invader bacteria, and diseases. The defenses against diseases that were once protecting themselves are now attacking their organs and tissues.
This trend is being addressed by major international research efforts. One such initiative is 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.
The number of cases of autoimmune diseases started to rise around 40 years ago in the West, Lee told the Observer. However, some of these cases are now occurring in countries that have not suffered from the disease.
For instance, the largest recent spike in the number of cases of inflammatory bowel diseases has occurred located in the Middle East and east Asia. They had never seen the disease before.
Autoimmune disorders range from type 1 diabetes to rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis. In all cases, the immune system is triggered to attack healthy tissues, not infectious agents.
The UK has at least 4,000,000 individuals suffering from these ailments. There are many others. In the world, it is believed that the amount of autoimmune disease is increasing by anywhere between 3 and 9 percent each year. The reason for this is believed to be due to environmental factors, as per the majority of researchers.
Lee, who was previously located in Cambridge University, stated that genetics has not changed over recent years. There must be something outside that's responsible for our predisposition for autoimmune disease.
This notion was endorsed by Vinuesa who was an instructor at the Australian National University. She highlighted changes in the diet occurring as more and more nations adopted western-style eating habits and consumers bought more fast food.
Vinuesa states that many fast-food foods lack important ingredients like fibre. This could alter one's microbiome that is the accumulation of of microorganisms present in our bodies which play an important part in regulating various bodily functions.
Changes in our microbiomes trigger the development of autoimmune diseases, of which more than 100 have been diagnosed.
Both researchers emphasized that individual susceptibilities were involved in contracting diseases like these, which also comprise celiac diseases as well as lupus. Lupus causes swelling and inflammation, and may cause damage to various organs, such as the heart.
"If you don't have particular genetic susceptibility it is unlikely that you will develop an autoimmune disease, no matter how many Big Macs you consume," said Vinuesa. We can't stop the expansion of fast-food chains across the globe. Therefore we're trying to discover the basic genetic mechanisms that underpin the autoimmune diseases that make certain individuals susceptible, while others are not. We're determined to solve this issue at the most fundamental levels.
Scientists are now able to spot tiny variations in DNA among large numbers of individuals. This is possible due to the development of the advancement of technology. It is possible to identify common genetic patterns that are common to those who suffer from an autoimmune disease.
Lee explained that until recently we didn't have the tools to analyze DNA. But now, we're able to do it that has completely changed the way we do things. When I first began doing studies, we were aware of fifty DNA Click here variants that could trigger inflammatory bowel disease. Now, we know more than 250.
Lee and Vinuesa are working on these kinds of research because they want to know how the genetic pathways work and the causes of the various diseases that doctors are currently looking into. Vinuesa said that there could be multiple versions of certain conditions that cause autoimmune disease, such as Lupus. It can be difficult to find the right treatment.
There are many promising therapies that could be useful but we don't have the right patients. In reality, we don’t have the necessary information to determine if patients have the same disease. That is why autoimmune research is now a top priority. It is Check out crucial to know how to stratify and group patients to provide them the right therapy.
Lee stated that due to the rise in auto-immune diseases around the globe, new treatments and medicines are required more urgently than ever before. There are currently no treatments for autoimmune disease that typically affect young people, while they're trying to land their first job, complete school, and take care of their families.
This means that more patients will be required to receive regular injections for the remainder of their lives. It can be grim for patients, and put a huge burden on health care services. We need new and effective treatments.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune conditionthat is caused by the immune system attacking healthy tissue in the body. However, it's not clear what triggers it.
Your immune system produces antibodies that fight against viruses and bacteria. This helps you fight infection.
Rheumatoid arthritis refers to a condition in which your immune system sends antibodies to your joints. They attack the tissue around the joint.
The thin, cell-like layer that covers your joints (synovium), to become sore and inflamed this releases chemicals that can cause harm to the area.
bones
Cartilage, the connective tissue between bones.
Tendons, the tissue connecting bone to muscle
Ligaments - The tissue that connects cartilage and bone
These chemicals can cause rheumatoid joint harm if it isn't addressed. It can eventually cause the complete destruction of the joint.
There are many theories about how the immune system fights joints. One theory is that an infection could be the trigger. But none of these theories have been proven.
Possible risk factors
There are many things which can increase your risk of developing rheumatoid, such as:
You could inherit it from your genes. There are signs that rheumatoid arthritis may be passed through families, the chances of getting it are very low since genes only play a very minor role in the condition.
Hormones-Rheumatoid Ailment is more common among women than males. It could be due to the estrogen-related effects, however this isn't confirmed.
Smoking is a risk factor. Some research suggests that smokers are at greater chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis.