Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is a painful disease that causes the immune system to attack the joints, leading to swelling, stiffness, and long-term damage.
For a long time, scientists have been trying to understand what causes RA and how to stop it before it starts.
Now, researchers from the University of Colorado and other institutions may have found an important clue. They discovered that a special type of bacteria living in the gut might be the trigger for RA.
The scientists started by studying people who were at risk for developing RA. These individuals had certain signs in their blood, called markers, that showed their immune systems were acting differently—even though they hadn’t developed full RA yet.
To figure out what might be causing this, the researchers took antibodies from the immune systems of these people and mixed them with samples of their own feces. It might sound strange, but this is because our gut contains a huge number of bacteria, and they wanted to see if any of these bacteria would react to the antibodies.
What they found was surprising. The antibodies strongly reacted to one specific type of bacteria. To test this further, they gave these bacteria to lab animals. The results were clear: the animals developed the same early signs of RA, and some even developed full-blown RA.
This is a major discovery. It suggests that in people who are already likely to get RA, this gut bacteria may be setting off the immune system in the wrong way. In people with RA, certain immune cells called T cells attack this bacteria. But in healthy people, this immune reaction doesn’t happen.
This could mean that getting rid of or controlling this bacteria in the gut might stop RA before it even begins. It’s a huge step toward possibly preventing this painful disease.
The study took five years to complete and relied on the help of many volunteers who were willing to donate their time and samples. Thanks to them, we now have a better idea of how gut health may be linked to autoimmune diseases like RA.
The next step for the scientists is to understand exactly how this bacteria causes the immune system to start attacking the body. They also want to find ways to stop this reaction—maybe through medication, diet changes, or other treatments.
This research shows how deeply connected our bodies are. Something as simple as bacteria in our gut can have powerful effects on our immune system and overall health. It reminds us to pay attention to what’s going on inside our bodies—even things we can’t see.
The study was led by Kristine Kuhn and published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. It gives new hope to those at risk for RA and opens the door to better ways to prevent and treat this challenging disease.
If you care about pain, please read studies about Chronic morphine use for cancer pain may increase bone loss and findings of Scientists find a new hope for chronic pain.
For more about pain, please read studies about What you need to know about diabetes and joint pain and findings of Understanding the connection between liver disease and joint pain.
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