Immune Study Provides Hope for Treatment in Individuals with Arthritis

(Newswire.net — March 23, 2017) Orlando, FL — Clinical trials and research studies have been conducted over the years to help arthritis sufferers regain the quality of their life. While there hasn’t been any cure for the condition yet, some researchers are determining what causes the condition and hope to discover some possible cures for it.

An immune study provides hope for treatment in individuals with arthritis. According to scientists, arthritis and other inflammatory conditions could potentially be addressed by simply switching off immune response.

The compounds produced by the immune system of the body could potentially help dampen inflammation, as well as, reduce the risk of damage to healthy tissues. The findings of the study suggest that therapies based on such compounds may potentially aid in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is believed to take place when the body’s immune system attacks the joints, which causes pain and swelling. The findings of the research could play a role in the development of new treatments for sepsis, which takes place when life-threatening damage to the tissue is caused by a body-wide immune response.

Alpha defensins are compounds that are considered to be a part of the first line of defense of the body against infections. They work by inhibiting bacteria and infectious agents from reproducing.

According to studies, these compounds may act on the immune system cells to reduce the risk of excessive inflammation. However, it has not yet been known how such a process works.

The researchers from the University of Edinburgh conducted a study involving human cells. It has been found that the compound’s alpha defensins are released by the neutrophils, which are immune cells when they die.

According to the researchers, the alpha defensins are taken up by the macrophages, which are immune cells. The compounds are believed to prevent macrophages from producing cytokines, which are messenger molecules that drive inflammation.

The primary, beneficial effects of these compounds are to simply limit excessive inflammation as well as restrict the damage to the healthy tissues without damaging the ability of the body to clear infections.

The researchers also suggest that the findings of the study could lead to the development of new treatments against chronic inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis. The research team also predicts that these therapies could potentially prevent flare-ups linked with the condition.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Journal and funded by the Medical Research Council and Arthritis UK.

While further studies are still underway to determine the cure for arthritis, there are sufferers who resort to resveratrol supplementation to help manage symptoms. One of the most popular resveratrol supplements contains extracts of acai fruit, red wine, grape seed, and green tea.

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