in us recently published researchmy colleagues and I found a key clue to the potential culprit behind this disease: the bacteria in your gut.
What causes rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is autoimmune conditions, that is, it occurs when the body’s immune system begins to attack itself. Proteins called antibodies, which normally help fight off viruses and bacteria, start attacking the joints instead.
The origin of the antibodies that cause rheumatoid arthritis has been an area of research for many years.A few Research Shows These antibodies can begin forming in sites such as the mouth, lungs, and intestines 10 years or more before symptoms appear. But until now, it was unclear why researchers found these antibodies in these specific regions.
I wanted to investigate what triggers the formation of these antibodies. In particular, microbiomeIt is a group of microbes that live in the gut.Since microbes normally live in the same sites as the antibodies that cause rheumatoid arthritis, we hypothesize that these bacteria may be causing the production of these antibodies. These antibodies were intended to attack bacteria, but rheumatoid arthritis develops because they cross the intestines and attack the joints.
First, we sought to identify the gut bacteria targeted by these antibodies. To do this, they exposed the bacteria in the faeces of a subset of people at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis to these antibodies and were able to isolate only the bacterial species that bound in response to the antibodies.
About 20% of people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis or who have antibodies that cause it have a previously unknown bacterium in their intestines.As a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, I suggested naming this species Subdoligranulum didolesgii (“didolesgii” means arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in the Cherokee) Affecting Indigenous Peoples at a higher rate than the rest of the population.
Subdoligranulum didolesgii It has never been detected in the faeces of healthy individuals, and it is currently unknown how prevalent this bacterium is in the general population.
They also discovered that these bacteria can activate specialized immune cells called T cells in rheumatoid arthritis patients. T cells promote the inflammatory response in the body, various autoimmune diseases.
These findings suggest that these gut bacteria may be activating the immune system of rheumatoid arthritis patients. To do.
why this bacterium?
It is not yet known why people with rheumatoid arthritis develop an immune response. Subdoligranulum didolesgiiHowever, since this bacterium is only found in the intestines of rheumatoid arthritis patients and not in the intestines of healthy people, we suspect that it may be the culprit when it comes to rheumatoid arthritis.
While there are many immune responses, takes place in the intestinethey are usually self-contained and do not spread to other areas of the body. Subdoligranulum didolesgii Antibodies can bypass the intestinal “firewall” and spread to joints.
To confirm our hypothesis, mice Subdoligranulum didolesgii and monitored their reactions. Within 14 days, the mice began to develop joint swelling and joint-attacking antibodies.
The future of rheumatoid arthritis treatment
My colleagues and I hope this study can shed light on the origins of rheumatoid arthritis. Our next goal is to discover how common these bacteria are in the general population. and to test whether the presence of these bacteria in the gut leads to the development of rheumatoid arthritis in humans.
it is important to note Antibiotics unlikely to help treat the microbiome in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Subdoligranulum didolesgii Antibiotics eliminate both beneficial and harmful bacteria in the gut, as they may be causing an autoimmune reaction in some people with rheumatoid arthritis. , once the immune system starts attacking your joints, you can’t always stop it.
Nonetheless, we believe these bacteria could be used as a tool to develop a cure for rheumatoid arthritis, and hopefully we can develop a way to prevent the disease from developing in the first place.
This article is reprinted from conversationis an independent, non-profit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Megan Criswell, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusIf you find it interesting, Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Meagan Chriswell does not work for, consult with, own shares in, or receive funding from any company or organization that benefits from this article.
