New research aims to unlock the link between gut bacteria and the development of immune diseases
Arthritis Research UK has awarded £2 million to a new research programme looking into the link between gut bacteria and the development of immune diseases.
For many years, experts have believed that the bacteria which live in our gut, mouth and elsewhere in our bodies, may affect our immune system, which could lead to the development of certain diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis.
Experts believe that studying the trillions of bacteria and other microbes in our bodies, could lead to a preventative treatment for immune diseases. It is hoped that this new research will shed light on the gut microbiome in early arthritis, established rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and childhood arthritis, and how this type of disease develops, progresses and responds to therapy.
There are potentially huge benefits from improving our understanding between the microbiome and arthritis and this research could lead to the development of entirely new treatments or preventative medicines, which could be as simple as changing the way we eat.
An international team of researchers will work on the programme, led by the University of Oxford, with partners from Birmingham and University College London, as well as collaborators in the US at Harvard University, New York University and Mount Sinai Hospital, New York.
Prof Fiona Powrie from the University of Oxford, who is leading this research, says, “This funding will allow our consortium to push forward with its goal of bridging the gap between microbiome description and function. It’s a key first step in unlocking the potential of the microbiome to yield therapies for inflammatory diseases.”
Dr Stephen Simpson, director of research and programmes at Arthritis Research UK, says that undertaking research into the treatment and prevention of rheumatoid arthritis, which over 400,000 in the UK suffer from, is the key focus of the charity. He says, “We hope that this award will help us understand the relationship between the bacteria in our gut and human health, specifically arthritis.
“This knowledge is absolutely essential if we’re to develop new treatments that could one day revolutionise the way we prevent and treat painful and debilitating conditions like inflammatory arthritis.”
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