Scientists from the University of Colorado and other institutions have discovered that a specific type of gut bacteria may play a role in triggering rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in people who are already at risk for the disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own joints, leading to pain, swelling, and stiffness. While experts have long suspected that gut bacteria might be involved in RA, this study provides new evidence linking a specific bacterial species to the disease.
How the Study Was Conducted
The researchers wanted to find out if certain gut bacteria were activating the immune system in people who were at risk for RA. To do this, they studied blood samples from individuals who had early signs of the disease, such as specific blood markers, but had not yet developed full-blown RA.
They took antibodies—proteins made by the immune system—from these at-risk individuals and mixed them with stool samples from the same group. This allowed them to see which bacteria the antibodies recognized as threats.
After identifying a unique bacterial species that seemed to trigger an immune response, the scientists tested their theory in animal models. They introduced the bacteria into the gut of these models to see if it would cause RA-like symptoms.
The Surprising Findings
The results were striking. The bacteria not only caused the animal models to develop the same blood markers seen in people at risk for RA, but in some cases, the animals went on to develop full RA symptoms.
The researchers also found that the immune cells (T cells) of people with RA reacted strongly to this particular bacteria, while healthy individuals’ immune cells did not respond in the same way. This suggests that the bacteria might be triggering an immune response unique to people with RA.
What This Means for the Future
If this newly discovered bacteria is truly responsible for setting off RA in at-risk individuals, it could open up new ways to prevent the disease. Scientists hope that by targeting the bacteria with medication, they may be able to stop the immune response before it leads to RA.
This research took five years to complete and was made possible by volunteers who knew they were at risk for RA and wanted to contribute to the study. The next step for scientists is to understand exactly how this bacteria triggers the immune system and explore possible ways to prevent this process from happening.
The study was led by Kristine Kuhn and published in 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.
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