The immune system of many people is failing to distinguish between healthy cells and invading microorganisms. This is leading to more suffering across the globe. They are now being attacked by defenses against disease which were designed to defend them.
Research efforts across the globe are accelerating to counter this trend. A prime example is the London Francis Crick Institute initiative which James Lee and Carola Vinesa who are world-renowned experts in the field, have established separate research groups that will aid in determining the precise nature of the autoimmune disorders.
Lee explained to the Observer that autoimmune illnesses began to increase about 40 years ago, in Western countries. New cases are being reported in countries where these conditions have not been seen before.
For instance, the most recent rise in inflammatory bowel disease cases has been located in the Middle East and east Asia. Prior to that, they had never had any experience with the disease.
Autoimmune disorders can be a variety of conditions, from type 1 diabetes to multiple Sclerosis as well as chronic fatigue syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. Each situation is distinct. In each instance, the immune system crosses its wires and turns on healthy tissues instead of infective agents.
At least four million people living in the UK have suffered from these diseases. Some may be suffering more than one. It is widely believed that the amount of autoimmune diseases is rising by anywhere between 3 and 9 percent per year. Many researchers believe that environmental factors are the primary factor in this rise.
Lee, who was previously at Cambridge University, says that human genetics hasn’t changed over the last decade. Therefore, something is changing outside of our body that could increase our vulnerability to developing autoimmune disease.
Vinuesa who was a former student at the Australian National University, supported this notion. She pointed out that changes in diet were taking place when more nations adopted Western-style eating habits, and more people were buying fast food items.
Vinuesa indicated that the lack of certain vital ingredients in fast-food meals can result in a decrease in the intake of essential nutrients, like fiber.
The microbiome's changes can then trigger autoimmune diseases. More than 100 different types of autoimmune diseases have been identified.
Both scientists stressed that individual risk factors were involved in contracting diseases like these, which also include celiac disease as well as lupus, which triggers swelling and inflammation that can cause harm to different organs, including the heart.
"If you don't have a particular genetic susceptibility it is unlikely that you will develop an autoimmune disease regardless of how many Big Macs you eat," said Vinuesa. "There is not a lot that we can do to halt the worldwide spread of fast-food franchises. Instead, we're trying to discover how autoimmune illnesses occur and what genetic pathways can make some people more susceptible to autoimmune diseases than others. This is the stage where we plan to tackle this problem."
This is made possible due to the advancement of methods which allow scientists to detect tiny DNA differences among large numbers of individuals. This is how it is possible to identify common genetic patterns for those suffering from an auto immune disease.
Lee explained that until recent, we didn't have the tools needed to analyze DNA. But now, we have this amazing power and it has changed everything. When I started doing research, we had only fifty DNA variants that were involved in triggering inflammation in the bowel. Now, there are over 250.
Lee and Vinuesa are pursuing these kinds of research because they want to understand how genetic pathways work and the causes of the various Read More diseases that doctors are currently examining. When you examine autoimmune diseases - for example, lupus - it has been made clear that there are numerous different variants of themthat could be caused by various genetic pathways, said Vinuesa. This can make it challenging to determine the best treatment.
There are many new therapies being developed and we don't know who to recommend these to. Because we don’t know the exact cause of their illness There are a variety of choices. This is the reason why research on autoimmune disease is now a top priority. To provide the best treatment, we have to understand how to group patients.
Lee said that the escalating cases of autoimmune diseases across the globe meant that new therapies and medicines were urgently needed more than ever before. There are currently no treatments for autoimmune diseases that typically affect young people, while they're trying to find their first job, complete the school year, and also raise their families.
This means that more and more of patients will need undergo surgery or receive regular injections. This can be very difficult for patients, and put a massive strain on healthcare services. Therefore, it is imperative to discover effective and innovative methods of treatment.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune-mediated condition. It's unclear the reason behind this.
Your immune system naturally produces antibodies to combat viruses and bacteria.
If you have rheumatoid the immune system issuing antibodies towards the lining of your joint which is where they attack the tissues surrounding it.
The thin layer of cells (synovium) that covers the joints to become swollen and inflamed. It releases chemicals that damage nearby:
bones
cartilage is the connective tissue that runs between bones
Tendons - connect muscle to bone
Ligaments form the connective tissue between cartilage and bone.
Rheumatoid arthritis is treatable but isn't controlled. These chemicals cause joints to become distorted and out of alignment. This can lead to total destruction of the joint.
Although there are numerous theories on why the immune system is attacking joints, none has been proved.
Possible risk factors
There are many things that can increase your chances of developing rheumatoid, such as:
Your genes - Some evidence suggests that rheumatoid joint disease can be passed down in families. It is unlikely that you'll inherit the condition. Genes are thought to only play a minor part in the.
Hormones - Rheumatoid Arthritis is more prevalent for women than in men. This could be due to the effects of the hormone Oestrogen. But, the link has Click here yet to be proven.
Smoking - Some evidence suggests that smokers are at greater risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis.