Around the world, people are suffering more because their immune systems are unable to distinguish between healthy cells and invader microorganisms. Organs and tissues are being attacked by defenses against disease that they used to have.
This trend is being tackled by large international research efforts. One example of this initiative is the London's Francis Crick Institute. Two world experts, James Lee (from the Americas) and Carola Vinuesa (from Italy), have established separate research groups to pinpoint the precise causes.
Lee revealed to the Observer the extent to which autoimmune cases has increased over the last 40 years in the West. There are now cases in countries where we had never seen such diseases.
For example, the biggest recent rise in cases of inflammatory bowel diseases has occurred located in the Middle East and east Asia. Prior to that, they had never had any experience with the disease.
Autoimmune disorders can be a variety of conditions, from type 1 diabetes to sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Every case is unique. In all cases the immune system is crossing its wires, and it switches to healthy tissue rather than infective agents.
There are at least 4,000,000 people with autoimmune conditions in the UK as well as some suffering from more than one. In the world, it is believed that the amount of autoimmune diseases is rising by between 3 and 9 percent per year. Many scientists believe that the environment plays a significant factor in this growth.
Lee who was formerly in Cambridge University, says that the human genetics haven't changed in the past 10 years. There's a possibility that something is happening out there that has increased our susceptibility to autoimmune disease.
Vinuesa who used to be situated at the Australian National University supported the idea. She highlighted changes in diet that were happening as more countries adopted western-style diets and consumers bought more fast food.
Vinuesa explains that many fast food foods lack important ingredients like fiber. This alteration may affect one's microbiome that is the accumulation of of microorganisms found in our bodies and which plays a critical part in regulating various bodily functions.
These changes in our microbiomes can trigger autoimmune disease, of which more than 100 have been diagnosed.
The scientists both stressed the importance of individual susceptibilities in acquiring such diseases. Celiac disease and Lupus are two additional conditions that can trigger swelling and inflammation, which can lead to damage to various organs which includes your heart.
Vinuesa added, "If there is no genetic susceptibility to an autoimmune disorder will not always be a problem, regardless of how many Big Macs you eat." There is nothing we can do about the rapid expansion of fast food chains across the world. Instead, we're working to figure out how autoimmune conditions are caused and the genetic factors that Check out cause certain individuals to be more vulnerable to the disease than others. That's the level where we plan to tackle this issue."
Scientists now have the ability to identify tiny differences in DNA among large numbers of individuals. This is possible due to the development of the advancement of technology. It is possible to determine common genetic patterns between individuals who suffer from an autoimmune disease.
Up until recently we didn't have the tools to do that, but now we're in a position to sequence DNA on a huge scale. This has completely changed everything, explained Lee. When I first began doing research, we knew about fifty DNA variants that were involved in triggering inflammation in the bowel. More than 250 are now known.
Such work lies at the foundation of Lee and Vinuesa's work that seek to figure out how these different genetic pathways work and decipher the various types of disease doctors are now investigating. Vinuesa stated that there are a variety of variants of autoimmune diseases, including Lupus. It is crucial to recognize that this has consequences when trying to determine the right treatment.
Many new therapies are under development, and we don't know who to give them to. Since we don't have a clear understanding of their exact disease, there are many possibilities. This is one of the major goals in research into autoimmune diseases. We have to learn how to group and stratify patients so that we can offer them the best treatment.
Lee said that the increasing rate of autoimmune illnesses across the globe meant that new drugs and treatments were needed urgently. Lee said that today there is no treatment for autoimmune disorders. They usually occur in teens who are trying to finish their education and find an employment.
It means that a growing number of people will have to undergo surgery or regular injections. It's a very stressful experience for patients and put stressing the health care system. It is urgent that we find new treatment options that are more efficient and effective.
Rheumatoid is a condition that causes an immune response. It is a condition where the immune system targets healthy tissue. But it isn't yet clear what causes it.
The antibodies your immune system makes to attack bacteria and viruses are essential to fight infection.
If you suffer from Rheumatoid arthritis the immune system releases antibodies into your joint' lining, where they target the tissues around them.
The thin layer of cells (synovium) that covers your joints, becomes inflamed and painful.
bones
Cartilage is the connective tissue that joins bones and cartilage
Tendons - the tissues which connects muscle to bone
Ligaments – The tissue connecting cartilage and bone
If rheumatoid arthritis is not treated, the chemicals slowly make the joint change form and align. The chemicals may eventually lead to the destruction of the joint in its entirety.
Various theories of why the immune system attacks joints have been proposed including an infection acting as an underlying cause, however none of these theories have been proven.
Possible risk factors
You may be at greater chance Read More of developing rheumatoid arthritis if you do not take the steps listed below:
The genes you carry - There is some evidence suggesting that the rheumatoid arthritis condition can be passed through families. However, the probability of it being passed on to a child is very low as genes play an important part in the disease.
hormones. Rheumatoid arthritis can be more common in females than males, and this could be due to the impacts of the hormone estrogen, however, this connection hasn't been proven
Smoking cigarettes is a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis. Some evidence supports this.