Worldwide, many people are suffering from the inability of their immune systems to distinguish between healthy cells or invaders microscopic organisms. The defenses against diseases that were once protecting them are instead attacking their organs and tissue.
International research efforts are in place to fight this trend - such as an initiative in London's Francis Crick Institute, where two world experts, James Lee and Carola Vinuesa have established separate research groups to help determine the exact causes of autoimmune disease and other conditions. recognized as such.
Lee told the Observer how the number of autoimmune cases has increased over the past 40 years in the West. We are witnessing some cases emerge in nations that have never experienced these diseases prior to.
For instance, the Middle East and East Asia are the regions with the highest number of cases of inflammatory bowel disease. Prior to that, they had never had any experience with the disease.
Type 1 diabetes multiple sclerosis, inflammation bowel disease, and rheumatoidarthitis are all autoimmune diseases. In each of these cases the immune system is activated and its wires crossed and focuses on healthy tissue instead of infectious agents.
At least 4,000,000 people with autoimmune conditions in the UK as well as some suffering from multiple. Internationally, it is now estimated that cases of autoimmune diseases are growing by between 3% and 9 percent per year. Most scientists believe the environment plays a significant part in this increase.
Lee who was previously employed at Cambridge University, said that the human genetics of human beings hasn't changed in the last decade. There's a possibility that something is going on out there that is increasing our susceptibility to autoimmune diseases.
This notion was endorsed by Vinuesa who was located at the Australian National University. She cited changes in the diet happening as more countries adopted western-style diets , and consumers bought more fast food.
Vinuesa explained that some essential components of fast food diets aren't present such as fibre. There is evidence to suggest that altering the microbiome (the assortment of microorganisms that we have in our digestive system) could lead to the loss of certain body functions.
Changes in microbiomes can then trigger autoimmune diseases. More than 100 types of autoimmune diseases have been discovered.
Both scientists stressed that individual vulnerability was a factor in the development of these illnesses. These ailments also comprise celiac diseases as well as lupus. Lupus causes swelling and inflammation that can cause damage to different organs, including the heart.
"If you don't possess a certain genetic susceptibility it is unlikely that you will develop an auto-immune disease, no matter how many Big Macs you eat," said Vinuesa. "There isn't much we can do to halt the worldwide spread of fast-food franchises. Instead, we're trying to understand the genetic mechanisms behind the autoimmune diseases and why some people are at risk. We are trying to address the problem at this level."
The development of modern technologies has allowed scientists to spot tiny differences in DNA across large populations of individuals. This is the way it's possible to determine the common genetic patterns of those suffering from an auto immune disease.
In the past we didn't have the tools to do this, however, we're able to analyze DNA on a massive scale, and it has transformed everything, according to Lee. My research revealed that there are Read More about six DNA variants that were involved in the triggering of inflammatory bowel disease. Today, we have more than 250.
Lee and Vinuesa have been involved in this research since the start of. Their research aims to understand the different kinds of diseases that doctors are currently researching and uncover the genetic pathways that cause them. Vinuesa has stated that there are many variations of autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus. If you're trying find the most effective treatment, this can be a problem.
There are a lot of beneficial therapies developing constantly However, we don't know the patients they should give the treatments, as we now realise we don't know exactly which version of the disease they suffer from. This is an important goal in autoimmune research. It is important to understand how to classify and categorize patients so that you can give them the right therapy.
Lee stated that the growing rate of autoimmune illnesses across the globe meant that innovative therapies and medications were urgently required. There are currently no treatments for autoimmune diseases that are most often seen in young people, while they're trying to get their first job, graduate from the school year, and also raise their families.
This means that a rising number of people have to have surgery or will require regular injections throughout their entire lives. This is a difficult time for patients and also puts an immense pressure on the healthcare system. We need new and effective treatment methods.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an immuno-mediated disorder. It's not clear what triggers this.
The antibodies that your immune system creates to fight bacteria and viruses are the ones you require to fight infections.
If you have rheumatoid the immune system sends antibodies towards the lining of your joint which is where they attack the surrounding tissue.
The thin layer of cells (synovium) that covers the joints to become painful and inflamed, which releases chemicals that cause damage to nearby joints:
bones
cartilage is the connective tissue between bones
Tendons are the connective tissue between bone and muscle.
Ligaments form the connective tissue that connects cartilage and bone.
If rheumatoid arthritis is not treated, these chemicals slowly make the joint lose its shape and alignment. The result could be irreparable.
There are arthritis rheumatoid food to avoid many theories about the reasons why your immune system attacks your joints, including the possibility that an infection could be an trigger. However, none of these theories has been proved to be valid.
Possible risk factors
There are several things that can increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, for example:
You could inherit it from your genes. While there are indicators that suggest that rheumatoidarthritis could be passed down through the family, the chances of getting it are low because genes play only a minor role in the condition.
The condition is more prevalent for women than men. This may be due to estrogenic effects, but this has not been proved.
Smoking - Evidence suggests that smokers are more likely develop rheumatoid arthritis.