The immune system of many people are unable to differentiate between healthy cells from invading microorganisms. This is causing more suffering around the world. They are now being attacked by defenses against disease which were designed to defend them.
International research efforts are underway to stop 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 separate research groups to help identify the root nature of the autoimmune disorder, as these conditions are known.
Lee told the Observer, that autoimmune cases increased in the west in the past 40 years. However, some of these cases are now being observed in countries that have never suffered from the disease.
The Middle East, East Asia and Africa have experienced the highest rise in inflammatory bowel disorder cases in recent years. They'd never heard of this disease prior to.
Autoimmune diseases range from type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis inflammation of the bowel and multiple sclerosis. In all instances, the immune system is activated and turns on healthy tissues.
There are at least 4,000,000 people with autoimmune conditions in the UK as well as some suffering from more than one. According to estimates from international sources that the number of patients suffering from autoimmune disorders is increasing by between 3% - 9% each year. Many scientists believe that environmental factors play a the major role in this rise.
Human genetics hasn't changed in the last few decades, claimed Lee, who was previously located at Cambridge University. Thus, something is changing in our body, which may increase our chances of developing an autoimmune disease.
Vinuesa was in favor of the idea, she was a former employee at the Australian National University. She noted that the changes in diets were occurring as more countries adopted Western-style diets, and more people bought fast food.
Vinuesa indicated that the lack of certain essential ingredients in fast-food food can cause a reduction in the intake of vital nutrients, like fiber.
These changes to our microbiomes can trigger autoimmune diseases, of which over 100 types have been identified.
The scientists both stressed the importance of individual risk factors for developing such illnesses. The celiac and lupus diseases are two additional conditions that can trigger swelling and inflammation, which can cause damage to different organs including your heart.
Vinuesa explained that autoimmune diseases aren't something you could be diagnosed with if you don't possess a particular genetic susceptibility. We can't stop the spread of fast-food chains around the world. Instead, we are focusing in understanding the genetic mechanisms which cause autoimmune disorders and how some people are more susceptible to the disease while others Read More are not. This is the stage where we plan to tackle this problem."
With the help of modern technology, researchers are now able to pinpoint tiny variations in DNA that exist between large numbers of individuals. It is possible to identify common genetic patterns among those with an autoimmune disorder.
Lee explained that until recent, we didn't have the tools needed to sequence DNA. Now, we're blessed with this incredible power that has completely changed the way we do things. When I began my studies, we were aware of half a dozen DNA variants that could trigger an inflammatory bowel disease. Now, we know more than 250.
The research at core of Lee and Vinuesa's work that seek to figure out how these various genetic pathways function and to unravel the many different types of diseases doctors are looking at. Vinuesa said that autoimmune diseases like Lupus, for instance is a disease that can manifest in many forms, and can have multiple genetic causes. This can make it challenging to identify the appropriate treatment.
There are many potential treatments being developed but we don’t know which patients to treat them for. We don’t even know what type of disease the patient suffers from. This is an important aspect in research into autoimmune diseases. It is crucial to know how to categorize and group patients so that you can give them the best treatment.
Lee explained that, with the rise in autoimmune diseases all over the world, new treatments and drugs are now needed more urgently than ever before. Lee said there was at present no treatment for autoimmune disorders. These tend to are seen in children trying to complete their studies, get work, and then start families.
That means more people are likely to undergo surgery or frequent injections during their lives. This can be very difficult for patients as well as a huge pressure on healthcare. It is therefore essential to come up with effective and novel methods of treatment.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. It is a condition where the immune system attacks healthy tissue. It is not known exactly what causes this.
Your immune system produces antibodies that fight against viruses and bacteria, helping you fight infections.
If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system mistakenly sends antibodies to the joint lining and attack the tissues surrounding the joint.
The thin layer (synovium) that is a protective layer on your joints, may become inflamed and inflamed which releases chemicals and cause injury.
bones
Cartilage is the connective tissue between bones which is made of cartilage.
Tendons - The tissue that connects muscle to bone
ligaments, the tissue that connects cartilage and bone
These chemicals can lead to rheumatoid joints harm if it isn't treated. The chemicals may eventually lead to the destruction of the joint in its entirety.
Various theories of why the immune system attacks the joints have been suggested, such as an infection acting as an underlying cause, however none of them has been proven.
Possible risk factors
You may be at greater chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis in the event that you Click here fail to follow the steps listed below:
Your genes - There's some evidence suggesting that rheumatoid arthritis can be passed through families. However, the probability of it passing on to children is low because genes play only an important influence on the condition.
hormones - rheumatoid arthritis is more prevalent among women than men, which may be because of the impacts of the hormone oestrogen although this link has not been established.
Smoking is a major risk cause for rheumatoid artifiid. There is evidence to support this.