Worldwide, more and more people suffer from the inability of their immune systems to differentiate between healthy cells or invading microorganisms. Their organs and tissue are now being attacked by the disease defenses that they used to have.
Research efforts across the globe are intensifying to counter this trend. An illustration is the London Francis Crick Institute initiative in which James Lee and Carola Vinesa who are world-renowned experts in this area, have formed distinct research groups that will aid in determining the precise reasons behind autoimmune diseases.
Lee said that autoimmune cases are increasing since the past 40 years, in the west. But, some of these cases are now being observed in countries that have never had such illnesses before.
For example it is the Middle East and East Asia are the regions with the highest number of cases of inflammatory intestinal disease. They'd never heard of the disease prior to.
Autoimmune diseases vary from type 1 diabetes to sclerosis as well as chronic fatigue syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. Each situation is distinct. In all cases, the immune system crosses its wires and switches on healthy tissues instead of infectious agents.
The UK has at least 4,000,000 people who have these conditions. There are also numerous others. It is believed that autoimmune disorders are increasing by between three to nine percent every year around the world. Many scientists believe environmental factors are a major factor in this rise.
Human genetics haven't changed over the last few decades, said Lee who was based at Cambridge University. So, something is happening in our body, which may increase our chances of developing autoimmune disease.
Vinuesa was the one who supported this idea. Vinuesa was previously at the Australian National University. She noted that the changes in diets were occurring as more countries adopted Western-style diets, and more people purchased fast food.
Vinuesa said that some vital elements in fast food diets are not present such as fibre. There is evidence that altering a person’s microbiome (the collection of microorganisms that we are able to digest) could result in a loss in specific body functions.
These changes in microbiomes lead to autoimmune disorders. There are more than 100 types.
The scientists both pointed out the significance of each individual's susceptibilities in acquiring such diseases. Celiac disease and Lupus are two other diseases that can cause inflammation and swelling that can cause damage to different organs including your heart.
Vinuesa stated, "If there is no genetic susceptibility to an autoimmune disease will not necessarily be a problem, regardless of the amount of Big Macs we eat." We can't stop the growth of fast-food establishments all over the world. So instead, we are trying to unravel the genetic Click here causes that cause the development of autoimmune diseases, and makes some people more susceptible than others. "We want to deal with the issue on a fundamental level."
With the help of modern technology, researchers are now able to pinpoint tiny genetic differences between large numbers of individuals. It is now possible to discern common genetic patterns that are common to those suffering from an autoimmune condition.
Until very recently we didn't have the technology to do this, but we're able to sequence DNA on a huge scale. This has completely changed everything, said Lee. When I started doing research, we had only half a dozen DNA variants that could trigger inflammatory bowel disease. We now have over 250.
Lee and Vinuesa concentrate their efforts on this kind of research. They want to learn more about the genetic pathways and discover the root causes of diverse diseases they study. Vinuesa has stated that there are many variations of autoimmune diseases, like Lupus. It is an issue when you are trying to find the right treatment.
There are a lot of beneficial new treatments that are being developed constantly, but we don't know which patients to give these treatments to because we now realise we don't know exactly which version of the disease they have. This is a key goal for the field of autoimmune research. In order to provide the best therapy we must be able to classify and stratify patients.
Lee said that rising cases of autoimmune disease around the globe means that new treatments and medications are needed now more than ever. It is not possible to treat autoimmune diseases. It happens when young people are trying to finish college and get their first job and start families.
This means that increasing numbers of people will need to undergo surgery or have regular injections. This can be a very difficult time for patients and it can also put enormous strain on the healthcare system. This is why it is imperative to find new, effective treatment options.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an immuno-mediated disorder. However, it's not yet identified what causes this.
The immune system usually produces antibodies that fight viruses and bacteria, helping to fight off infection.
Your immune system could mistakenly send antibodies to your joints if you have rheumatoid. The antibodies attack tissues around them.
This causes the thin, cell-like layer covering your joints (synovium) to get inflamed and sore this releases chemicals that cause harm nearby.
bones
Cartilage is the connective tissue between bones.
The tendons are the tissue that connects muscle and bone
Ligaments - This is the tissue that connects bones and cartilage.
These chemicals can lead to rheumatoid joints injury if the condition isn't treated. It can eventually cause the complete destruction of the joint.
There are many theories as to why the immune system attacks the joints. One theory is that an infection could be a trigger. But none of these theories have been proved.
Possible risk factors
Rheumatoid-related arthritis may result from a variety of reasons, such as:
The genes you carry - There is some evidence to suggest that rheumatoid arthritis can be passed through families. But the chance of it being passed to a child is low as genes play a limited role in the condition.
The condition is more prevalent for women than men. This may be due to estrogen effects, but this has not been proved.
smoking cigarettes - some research rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis suggests that people who smoke have an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.