Scientists have found that a certain type of gut bacteria may help trigger rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in people who are already at risk of developing the disease.
This new research may help explain what causes the immune system to start attacking the joints.
The study was done by researchers at the University of Colorado and other institutions. It shows that bacteria living in the gut could be a hidden reason why the immune system turns against the body’s own tissues.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. This means the immune system, which normally protects the body, mistakenly attacks healthy parts like the joints. This can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness.
Doctors can often tell if someone is at risk of RA by looking at certain signs in the blood, even before any symptoms appear. But until now, no one knew for sure what triggered the disease in those people.
To find out more, the scientists took immune proteins called antibodies from people who were at risk for RA. They mixed those antibodies with bacteria found in stool samples from the same people. This helped them identify which bacteria the immune system was reacting to.
To test their idea, the researchers then gave this specific bacteria to lab animals. The results were surprising: the animals began to show the same signs in their blood as people at risk for RA. Some of them even developed full rheumatoid arthritis.
This showed that the immune systems of people with RA respond strongly to this particular bacteria. Healthy people, on the other hand, do not have the same reaction. It suggests that this gut bacteria could be the trigger that sets off the disease in those who are already at risk.
If the bacteria truly play a role in starting RA, it may be possible to create new treatments that target the bacteria. These treatments could help prevent or delay the start of the disease before it causes lasting joint damage.
The research took five years to complete and was made possible with the help of volunteers who knew they were at risk for RA and agreed to be part of the study. The next step for the scientists is to understand exactly how this bacteria causes the immune system to react and find ways to block or stop this reaction.
The study was led by Kristine Kuhn and her team and was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
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.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
