The immune system of a lot of people is failing to distinguish between healthy cells and invading micro-organisms. This is causing more suffering across the globe. Disease defences that once protected them are instead attacking their organs and tissues.
International research efforts are in place to stop this trend, including an initiative at London's Francis Crick Institute, where two world-renowned experts, James Lee and Carola Vinuesa have established distinct research groups to identify the root nature of the autoimmune disorder and other conditions. well-known.
Lee said that autoimmune cases have been on the rise since around 40 years ago in the west. There are now cases in countries where we had never had such illnesses before.
For example, the Middle East/East Asia has seen the largest recent rise in the number of inflammatory bowel disease cases. They had not seen the disease before.
Autoimmune disorders can be a variety of conditions, from type 1 diabetes to Sclerosis chronic fatigue syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis. In each of these cases, the immune system gets its wires crossed, and it turns to healthy tissues instead of the infectious agents.
These ailments have been documented by at least 4 million people living in the UK. Certain sufferers could be affected by more than one. In the world, it is believed that the number of cases of autoimmune diseases is growing by 3 to 9 percent annually. Many scientists believe that environmental factors play the major role in this rise.
Lee, who was previously at Cambridge University, says that human genetics hasn’t changed over the past decade. It appears that something is taking place out there that has increased our susceptibility to autoimmune disease.
Vinuesa supported the idea, having previously worked at the Australian National University. She mentioned that there were changes in the diet as more people ate western-style meals, as well as increasing consumption of fast food.
Vinuesa explains that many fast food products lack essential ingredients such as fibre. The change could affect your microbiome, which is the collection of micro-organisms found in our bodies and which plays a critical function in controlling various bodily functions.
These changes to our microbiomes can trigger autoimmune disorders, of which there are more than 100 kinds.
The scientists both stressed that every person is susceptible to these diseases, which include celiac, Lupus, and other ailments, such as celiac, which cause inflammation and swelling and can cause serious damage to the organs of various.
"If you don't have a certain genetic susceptibility it is unlikely that you will develop an autoimmune disease regardless of how many Big Macs you eat," said Vinuesa. There's nothing we can change the widespread spread of fast-food chains around the world. Instead, our focus is in understanding the genetic factors that cause autoimmune diseases and how some people are more susceptible than others not. We're determined to solve this issue at the highest degree.
Because of the advancement of technology, researchers are capable of identifying small differences in people's DNA. It is now possible to discern common genetic patterns between those with an autoimmune disorder.
In the past we didn't have the tools for that, but now we're able to sequence DNA on a large scale, and it has transformed everything, explained Lee. When I started doing studies, we were aware of half a dozen DNA variations that were involved in triggering inflammatory bowel disease. Now, we know more than 250.
Lee and Vinuesa focus their energies on this type of work. They seek to understand more about the genetic pathway and determine the causes of different diseases they're studying. Vinuesa says that it is now clear that there are various types of autoimmune diseases like Lupus. They could all be caused by various genetic pathways. It is essential to realize that this has consequences in determining the right treatment.
There are a lot of beneficial new treatments that are being developed all the time however, we aren't sure the patients they should give these treatments to because we now realise we aren't sure of the version of the disease they have. This is the reason why research on autoimmune disease is now a top priority. In order to provide the appropriate treatment, we need to learn how to group Click here patients.
Lee stated that due to the rise in autoimmune diseases all over the globe, new treatments and medicines are required more urgently than ever before. Lee said there was at present no treatment for autoimmune diseases. They typically are seen in children trying to complete their education, find a job, and start families.
This means that more people will have to undergo surgery or regular injections throughout their lives. This could be extremely difficult for patients and put an enormous strain Check out on health care systems. This is why it is imperative to discover new, efficient treatment options.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. It is caused by the immune system targets healthy tissue in the body. However, it's not clear what triggers it.
Your immune system normally makes antibodies that fight viruses and bacteria, helping to fight off infection.
If you have Rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system mistakenly sends antibodies to the lining of your joints, where they attack the tissues surrounding the joint.
This causes the thin, cells-like layer of your joints (synovium) to become sore and inflamed, which releases chemicals that cause harm nearby.
bones
Cartilage - The connective tissue that is stretchy and connects bones
Tendons are the connective tissue that connects bone and muscle.
ligaments, the tissue that connects bone and cartilage
If rheumatoid joint disease isn't treated, these chemicals slowly make the joint lose its shape and alignment. The chemicals may eventually cause the degeneration of the joint in its entirety.
Although there are numerous theories on why the immune system is attacking joints, none have been confirmed.
Possible risk factors
There are many factors that can increase your chances of developing rheumatoid arthritis, such as:
your genes - there's some evidence to suggest that rheumatoid arthritis may be passed down in families, though the likelihood of passing it on is believed to be minimal since genes are believed to play a tiny part in the disease
Hormones The autoimmune disease Rheumatoid is more prevalent than ever before among women, perhaps because of the hormonal effects of oestrogen. However, this link, has never been proven.
Smoking is a risk factor for rheumatoid artifiid. A few studies support this.