Many people around the globe suffer with an immune system that doesn't differentiate between healthy cells, invading bacteria and disease. Organs and tissues are being attacked by disease defences which they had previously.
Research efforts across the globe are intensifying to combat this trend. A prime example is the London Francis Crick Institute initiative where James Lee and Carola Vinesa two experts from around the world in this field, have created separate research groups that will aid in determining the precise causes of autoimmune disorders.
Numbers of autoimmune cases increased about 40 years ago in the west, Lee told the Observer. However, these illnesses are now showing up in countries that have never had them before.
The Middle East and East Asia have seen the largest growth in cases of inflammatory bowel disorders. They'd never heard of the condition before.
Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoidarthitis all are immune-mediated illnesses. In each case, your immune system becomes confused and shifts to healthy tissues over the pathogens that cause infection.
These ailments have been documented by as many as 4 million people in the UK. A few sufferers could be affected by more than one. It is widely believed that the number of cases of autoimmune diseases is growing by 3 to 9 percent each year. Many scientists believe environmental factors are the primary factor in this rise.
Lee who was based in Cambridge University, stated that genetics have not changed in recent years. There's got to be something external that's responsible for our predisposition to autoimmune disease.
This idea was backed by Vinuesa, who was previously based at the Australian National University. She cited changes in diet that were happening as more nations adopted western-style eating habits and consumers bought more fast food.
Vinuesa says that many fast-food foods lack important ingredients like fibre. This could alter one's microbiome that is the accumulation of of micro-organisms present in our bodies that play a crucial part in regulating various bodily functions.
These changes to our microbiomes then cause autoimmune diseases, of which there are over 100 different types.
Both researchers stressed that there are individual susceptibilities to the diseases. It includes celiac, as well as Lupus. It triggers inflammation, swelling, and could cause harm and even death to various organs, including the heart.
Vinuesa claims that anyone who doesn't suffer from a genetic susceptibility will not get an autoimmune disease, regardless of the quantity of Big Macs they eat. We can't stop the spread of fast-food chains around the globe. Instead, we are focusing on understanding the genetic factors that underlie autoimmune disorders and the reasons why certain people are more susceptible than others not. That's the level at which we intend to tackle this issue."
Modern techniques mean that scientists can now pinpoint small genetic differences between large numbers of individuals. It is possible to identify common genetic patterns among people who suffer from an autoimmune disease.
Lee explained that the ability to sequence large quantities of DNA has transformed the way we do everything. We did not have these tools until the last few years. When I began researching in the early 1990s, we knew only about 50% of the DNA variants which were linked to the onset of inflammation in the intestines. We now know about 250.
This is at the core of the work done by Lee and Vinuesa. They seek to determine how different genetic pathways function and discover the diverse types of diseases researchers are currently studying. Vinuesa explained that autoimmune diseases like Lupus for instance are present in a variety of forms and could have different genetic reasons. This could have a negative influence on your ability find the right treatment.
There are many potential treatments being developed but we don’t know which patients we should give them. We don't know what type of disease the patient is suffering from. This is an important goal in autoimmune research. In order to provide the best therapy we must be able to group and categorize patients.
Lee said that rising cases of autoimmune disease around the world means new treatments and medications are urgently needed more than ever. Lee said there was at present no treatment for autoimmune disorders. These often occur in young people arthritis rheumatoid treatment trying to complete their studies, get a job, and start families.
It means that more patients will require regular injections for the remainder of their lives. This could be very stressful for patients and an enormous Read More strain on healthcare services. Hence the urgent need to develop new, effective treatment options.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune-mediated disorder. It's not clear the reason behind this.
The immune system usually produces antibodies that fight against viruses and bacteria, assisting to fight off infection.
If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system sends the wrong antibodies to the joint's lining which attack the tissues surrounding the joint.
This causes the thin, cells-like layer of your joints (synovium), to become sore and inflamed this releases chemicals that can cause harm to the area.
bones
Cartilage is the connective tissue that connects bones and is composed of cartilage.
Tendons - connect muscles to bone
Ligaments are the connective tissue between cartilage and bone.
If the condition is not treated, it could result in the loss of joint alignment and shape. In the end, it could cause the joint to be destroyed completely.
Various theories of why the immune system attacks the joints have been suggested for example, an infection acting as the trigger, but none of these theories has been proven.
Possible risk factors
Rheumatoid-related arthritis may result from a variety of factors, including:
your genes - there's some evidence to suggest that arthritis may be passed down through families, but the chance of inheritance is thought to be very low since genes are believed to play a tiny influence on the condition.
Hormones Rheumatoid arthritis can be more prevalent for women than for males. Though this could be due in part to the impact of the hormone oestrogen has on the body, the cause has not been proven.
Smoking is a risk factor - Research suggests that smokers are more likely to develop rheumatoidarthritis.