The majority of people in the world are suffering from an immune system that doesn't discern between healthy cells, invader bacteria and disease. The immune system is being attacked with the immune defenses to diseases which were previously there to guard them.
International research efforts are underway to stop this trend. A London-based initiative, the Francis Crick Institute, has two world-renowned experts. James Lee & Carola Vinuesa established distinct research teams to figure out the root causes of an autoimmune disorder.
Lee told the Observer that the occurrence of autoimmune diseases began to increase about 40 years ago, in Western countries. But, the diseases are now being seen in countries which have never had them before.
For instance it is the Middle East and East Asia are the regions that have the highest percentage of cases of inflammatory intestinal diseases. They had never seen the condition before.
Autoimmune disorders range from type 1 diabetes to rheumatoid arthritis inflammation of the bowel, and even multiple sclerosis. In all cases, the immune system is activated and begins to turn on healthy tissue.
The UK has at least 4,000,000 individuals suffering from these ailments. There are also many other. Internationally, it is now believed that the incidence of autoimmune diseases are rising by 3% to 9% a year. Many researchers believe that environmental factors play a an important role in this rise.
Human genetics hasn't altered over the last several years, according to Lee, who was previously working at Cambridge University. Something is going on outside that's increasing our risk of developing autoimmune disease.
Vinuesa supported the idea, she was a former employee at the Australian National University. She noted that diet changes were happening as more countries adopted Western-style diets, and more people purchased fast food items.
Vinuesa explained that some essential components of fast food diets are not present which includes fiber. It is known to suggest that altering a person’s microbiome (the collection of microorganisms that we are able to digest) could lead to an impairment in specific bodily functions.
These changes in the microbiomes could trigger autoimmune conditions. Over 100 kinds of autoimmune disorders have been identified.
Both scientists said that individuals are susceptible to getting these diseases. These include celiac as well as Lupus, which trigger inflammation and swelling, and cause damage to various organs including the heart.
Vinuesa said "If you don’t have a genetic predisposition to autoimmune disorders it is unlikely that you will develop one, regardless of how many Big Macs you eat." "There's not much we can do to stop the global growth of fast food franchises. Instead, we are focusing on the genetic factors that cause autoimmune diseases. We want to know what makes certain individuals more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases than others. This is the stage where we plan to tackle this problem."
Modern techniques mean that scientists are now able to identify small genetic differences among a large number of people. It is possible to determine common genetic patterns between people with an autoimmune disorder.
Lee said that until very recently we didn't have the tools to sequence DNA. Now, we're blessed with this incredible power that has completely changed the way we do things. When I began my research, we knew about half a dozen DNA variants that could trigger inflammatory bowel disease. Now, we know more than 250.
Lee and Vinuesa have a particular focus of their energies on this particular type of work. They are keen to find out more about the genetic pathways and find the causes of the various diseases they are studying. Vinuesa explained that autoimmune diseases like Lupus, for example, can be seen in a variety of forms and may have different genetic reasons. This is a problem when you are trying to determine the most effective treatment.
We are blessed with a wealth of beneficial therapies being developed constantly however, we aren't sure what patients to recommend them to, because we've realized that we aren't sure of the type of disease they have. This is the reason why research on autoimmune disease has become a major focus. In order to provide the appropriate treatment, we need to learn how to categorize patients.
Lee explained that, with the rising incidence of autoimmune diseases across the world, new treatments and drugs are now needed more urgently Read More than ever before. According to Lee, at present there's no treatment for autoimmune disorders. They usually occur in teens who are trying to complete their studies and secure work.
It means many more people will need surgeryor require regular injections for the rest their lives. This can be very difficult for patients, and puts stress on health care systems. This is why we need to develop innovative and effective treatment options.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition. It is a condition where the immune system attacks healthy tissues. But, we don't know the triggers for it.
The immune system naturally produces antibodies to combat bacteria and viruses.
If you suffer from rheumatoid disease the immune system releases antibodies to the lining of your joint and attack the surrounding tissue.
This causes the tiny layer of cells (synovium) that cover the joints to become sore and inflamed. It releases chemicals that harm nearby tissues:
bones
Cartilage - The connective tissue Read More that joins cartilage and bones
tendons - the tissue that connects muscle and bone
Ligaments - The connective tissue between bone and cartilage
If rheumatoid doesn't get treated, the chemicals slowly cause the joint to loose its shape. The final result may be irreparable.
There are many theories as to how the immune system targets joints. For instance the possibility of an infection could be the trigger. However , none theory is proved.
Possible risk factors
There are many things which can increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, including:
The genes you carry - There is evidence that suggests that rheumatoid arthritis can run in families. However, it is not likely that you will inherit the disease. Genetics are thought to play a small part in the.
Hormones Rheumatoid arthritis is more common for women than men. Though this could be due to the impact of the estrogenic hormones on the body, it has not been confirmed.
smoking. Some evidence suggests that those who smoke are at a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis