Many people around the globe suffer with an immune system that is unable to differentiate between healthy cells invader bacteria, and diseases. Organs and tissues are being attacked by defenses against disease that they once had.
International research efforts are being made to fight this trend - including an initiative at London's Francis Crick Institute, where two experts from around the world, James Lee and Carola Vinuesa, have created distinct research groups to identify the root reasons behind autoimmune diseases and other conditions. known.
Lee said to the Observer that cases of autoimmune disease increased in the west in the past 40 years. However, some of these cases are now being seen in countries where they have never experienced such diseases.
For example for instance, the Middle East and East Asia are the regions that have the highest number of cases of inflammatory intestinal disease. They'd never heard of the disease prior to.
Autoimmune diseases can range from type 1 diabetes to rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation of the bowel, and even multiple sclerosis. Every case is unique. In every case, the immune system crosses its wires and turns on healthy tissues, not infectious agents.
Around 4 million people in the UK have been affected by these conditions. Others may suffer more than one. Globally, it is believed that the incidence of autoimmune diseases is growing by 3 to 9 percent each year. Many scientists believe environmental factors are a key reason for this increase.
Lee who was previously employed in Cambridge University, said that the human genetic makeup hasn't changed in the last decade. There must be something outside that's responsible for our predisposition to autoimmune disease.
Vinuesa, a former student at the Australian National University, supported this notion. She discussed the shifts in food habits that took place when more countries adopted western-style diets, and people consumed more fast foods.
Vinuesa said that fast food meals contain a few essential ingredients, such as fiber. Evidence suggests that this can influence the microbiome of an individual, which is the collection of microorganisms that reside in our gut. Microorganisms play a important role in controlling a variety of bodily functions.
The microbiome's changes could then trigger autoimmune disorders. More than 100 different types of autoimmune disorders have been discovered.
The two scientists emphasized that there are individual susceptibilities to these illnesses. This includes celiac as well as Lupus. It causes inflammation, swelling, and could cause death and damage to many organs, including heart.
Vinuesa states that a person who doesn't suffer from a genetic predisposition will not develop an autoimmune disorder regardless of how many Big Macs they consume. "There's not much we can prevent the world-wide expansion of fast food chains. Therefore we're working to understand the fundamental genetic mechanisms that underpin the autoimmune diseases that make certain people susceptible but others not. We're trying to solve the problem at this level."
With the development of technology, researchers are in a position to detect tiny differences between people's DNA. This is the way it's possible to identify common genetic patterns in people with an auto-immune disease.
Lee explained that until recently , we did not have the tools to sequence DNA. But now, we have this amazing power and it has transformed everything. When I began my studies, we were aware of half a dozen DNA variations that were involved in triggering inflammation in the bowel. Now, we know more than 250.
Lee and Vinuesa concentrate their efforts on this kind of work. They want to learn more about genetic pathway and determine the causes of different diseases they're studying. If you look at some autoimmune diseases - for example Lupus, for instance - it's been made clear that there are numerous different variants of themthat could be caused by various genetic pathways, Vinuesa explained. If you're trying find the best treatment, this can be a problem.
There are a variety of treatments being developed but we don’t know which patients we should give them. We don't even know what version of the disease the patient is suffering from. This is an important goal in autoimmune research. It is essential to learn how to stratify and group patients so that you can give them the best treatment.
Lee said that there are more autoimmune diseases than ever, and new drugs and treatments are needed urgently. It's not possible to cure autoimmune diseases. It happens when young people are trying to complete their college education and get their first job and have families.
This means that more patients are scheduled for surgery or be required to receive regular injections throughout the course of their lives. This is a difficult time for patients and also puts an enormous strain on the healthcare system. Therefore, it is crucial to discover new, efficient treatments.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. It is caused by the immune system targets healthy body tissue. But, it's not understood what causes this.
The antibodies that your immune system makes to attack bacteria and viruses are what you need to fight off infection.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that affects your immune system and sends antibodies to your joints. They attack the joint tissue surrounding the joint.
The thin layer, called synovium, of cells that cover your joints to become painful. It also releases chemicals that can cause injury nearby.
bones
cartilage is the connective tissue that runs between bones
Tendons - connect muscles to bone
Ligaments – The tissues that connect bone and cartilage
If rheumatoid joint disease isn't treated, these chemicals slowly make the joint lose its form and align. This can lead to complete destruction of the joint.
There are many theories about Check out why the immune response is a threat to joints. For instance, an infection might be the trigger. Click here But none of these theories is proven.
Possible risk factors
Rheumatoid-related arthritis can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as:
Your genes are a factor - there's evidence to suggest that arthritis may be passed down through families, but the likelihood of passing it on is thought to be low since genes are believed to play a small influence on the condition.
Hormones-Rheumatoid Ailment is more common among women than males. This may be due to the estrogen effects, but this isn't confirmed.
Smoking cigarettes is a risk cause for rheumatoid artifiid. A few studies support this.