A new study from the University of Colorado and its partners has found that a special type of bacteria in the gut may play a key role in starting rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in people who are already at risk.
RA is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own joints, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. This discovery could lead to new ways to prevent the disease before it starts.
The researchers focused on people whose blood showed early signs that they might develop RA, even though they hadn’t shown symptoms yet. These early signs are known as blood markers. The scientists collected immune cells from these individuals and looked at the antibodies—proteins that help the immune system spot and attack things it sees as threats.
Next, they mixed these antibodies with stool samples from the same people to see which gut bacteria were being targeted. One specific type of bacteria stood out—it was clearly marked by the immune system in those at risk for RA.
To test the idea further, the team introduced this bacteria into animals. Some of these animals not only developed the same RA-related blood markers as the humans, but a few also went on to develop full RA-like symptoms. This suggested that the bacteria might be directly involved in triggering the disease in people who are already vulnerable.
The researchers also found that immune cells in people with RA responded strongly to this bacteria. In contrast, healthy people’s immune systems did not react to it. This shows that the bacteria seems to be tied specifically to RA and not to general immune activity.
If this unique gut bacteria is truly causing the immune system to start the chain reaction that leads to RA, then scientists may be able to find a way to stop it. In the future, doctors might be able to treat or remove this bacteria in at-risk individuals to prevent the disease from ever developing.
The research took five years to complete and was made possible by people who knew they were at risk for RA and volunteered to help the scientists. The next steps for the research team include understanding exactly how this bacteria causes the immune system to react and exploring different ways to stop or block that reaction.
These findings offer hope for those with a family history of RA or early warning signs. They also point to the gut as an important area to study when it comes to autoimmune diseases.
The study was led by Dr. Kristine Kuhn and was published in Science Translational Medicine.
For readers interested in overall wellness, other recent research has shown that vitamin K may help lower the risk of hip fractures in older adults, krill oil could improve muscle health, and Jarlsberg cheese may help prevent bone thinning.
Each of these studies adds to growing knowledge about how diet and gut health can play a role in keeping our bodies strong and disease-free.
If you care about arthritis, please read studies about extra virgin olive oil for arthritis, and pomegranate: A natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
For more information about arthritis, please see recent studies about how to live pain-free with arthritis, and results showing medical cannabis may help reduce arthritis pain, back pain.
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