A growing number of people across the globe suffer because their immune systems are unable to more distinguish between healthy cells and invader micro-organisms. They are being attacked by the defense mechanisms that used to protect them.
International research is being undertaken to counter this trend. This is a London-based initiative. Francis Crick Institute where two world-class experts, James Lee, and Carola Vinuesa have created distinct research groups to determine the root causes of autoimmune diseases.
Lee disclosed to the Observer how the number of cases of autoimmune disease has increased in the last 40 years, particularly in Western countries. However, these illnesses are now appearing in nations that haven't experienced them before.
The Middle East and East Asia have seen the largest rise in the incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases. They had never before seen the disease.
Type 1 diabetes can be caused by rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Each situation is distinct. In all cases the immune system is crossing its wires and switches on healthy tissue rather than infective agents.
At least 4,000,000 people suffering from autoimmune disorders in the UK and some suffer from multiple. In the world, it's estimated that cases of autoimmune illnesses are increasing by 3% to 9 percent per year. Numerous scientists believe that environmental factors are a major reason for this increase.
Human genetics hasn't changed in the past few decades, claimed Lee, who was previously located at Cambridge University. Thus, something is changing outside of our body that can increase our risk of developing an autoimmune condition.
This idea was backed by Vinuesa who was based at the Australian National University. She noted that there had been shifts in diets because more people were eating western-style meals, and increased consumption of fast food.
Diets that focus on fast food lack some vital ingredients, for instance fiber, and research suggests that this can affect your microbiome, which is the micro-organisms we have in our digestive tract and that play a key role in regulating the various body functions, Vinuesa explained.
These changes in the microbiomes can then trigger autoimmune diseases. Over 100 kinds of autoimmune disorders have been discovered.
The two scientists emphasized the fact that each person is susceptible to such illnesses. This includes celiac and Lupus. It causes inflammation and swelling, and may cause death and damage to various organs, such as the heart.
"If you don't have a particular genetic susceptibility it is unlikely that you will develop an auto-immune disease, no matter how many Big Macs you eat," said Vinuesa. "We are unable to slow the growth of fast-food restaurants across the globe. Instead, we are focusing on the genetic factors that cause autoimmune diseases. We're trying to figure out what makes certain individuals more susceptible than others. We are trying to Read More address the issue at the level of."
Because of the advancement of technology, researchers are now in a position to detect tiny differences between people's DNA. In this way, it is possible to determine common genetic patterns in people suffering from an autoimmune disease.
Lee states that even though we had tools to sequence DNA the point of being able to sequence DNA, until recent but it was not feasible. My study revealed that there were about six DNA variants that were involved in the trigger of inflammatory bowel disease. Today, we have about 250.
Lee and Vinuesa have been doing such research since the start of. Their research aims to uncover the various types of diseases that doctors are currently investigating and discover the genetic pathways which lead to these types of diseases. If you take a look at a variety of auto-immune diseases like Lupus, for instance - it's been discovered recently that there are many different versions of them, that may be caused through different genetic pathways Vinuesa said. When you're trying to find the most effective treatment for your condition, this could be an issue.
We are blessed with a wealth of useful new therapies that are being developed constantly However, we don't know what patients to recommend these treatments to because we now realise we don't know exactly which type of disease they have. This is an important aspect in research into autoimmune diseases. It is crucial to know how to classify and categorize patients in order to give them the appropriate treatment.
Lee also stressed that surging cases of autoimmune illnesses across the globe meant that innovative treatments and drugs were now much more urgently needed than before. There is currently no treatment for autoimmune disorders, which often occur in young people, while they're trying to find their first job, graduate from school, and take care of their families.
It means many more people will need surgeryor require regular injections for the remainder of their lives. This can be very difficult for patients and place a strain on the health system. That's why we need to find innovative, effective treatments.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune conditionthat is due to the immune system attacking healthy tissue in the body. It's a mystery.
The immune system naturally produces antibodies to fight bacteria and viruses.
Rheumatoid arthritis refers to a condition where your immune system sends antibodies to your joints. They attack the joint tissue around the joint.
The thin layer, called synovium of cells that covers your joints to become sore. In addition, it releases chemicals that can cause injury nearby.
bones
Cartilage - The stretchy connective tissue connecting bones
Tendons are connective tissue between bone and muscles.
Ligaments - The tissues that connects cartilage and bone
If the condition is not addressed, it will gradually cause the loss of joint alignment and shape. Eventually, it can destroy the joint completely.
There have been a variety of theories as to why the immune system attacks joints. One theory is that an infection could be a trigger. But Check out none of these theories has been confirmed.
Possible risk factors
There are a variety of factors that can increase the risk of developing rheumatoid, such as:
the genes you carry - there's evidence to suggest that arthritis may be passed down in families, though the likelihood of passing it on is thought to be low because genes are thought to play a minor role in the condition
Hormones are responsible for causing arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is now more prevalent than ever in women, possibly due to the hormone effects of oestrogen. The link, however is not proven.
Smoking cigarettes is a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis. Some evidence supports this.