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Healing the Immune System Autoimmune Breakthroughs Offer New Hope


by April Thompson S


ome 23 million Americans suffer from one or more autoimmune diseases—a category comprised of more than 80


conditions, including fibromyalgia, Hashi- moto’s disease, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and Type 1 diabetes. Tese pernicious dis- orders are notoriously difficult to diagnose, even harder to treat and can be debilitating, diminishing the quality of life for sufferers. Another commonality is the increased


prevalence of autoimmune disease in women versus men; in the case of lupus, for example, a nine-fold difference. Some early indicators are that this may be related to a “gene dosage effect”, as men with XXY chromosomes have the same risk of developing lupus as other women, and women with XXX chromo- somes (known in medical parlance as “super- women”) have an even higher risk of autoim- mune disease, according to Judith James,


16 Austin Area Edition


chair of the Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Program at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, in Oklahoma City. Yet there is hope on the horizon, as sci-


entific discoveries unlock important insights about the manifestation and progression of autoimmune diseases leading to new treat- ments and prevention tips. Evidence is also mounting around the role of diet and lifestyle in autoimmune conditions, giving patients new avenues for taking charge of their health instead of simply waiting for a cure. Autoimmune diseases are chronic


and can affect almost any part of the body, including the heart, brain, muscles, skin, eyes, joints, lungs, kidneys, glands, digestive tract and blood vessels. Each disease carries its own set of symptoms, but inflammation is nearly always present, and are all con- nected by how the immune system attacks


AustinAwakenings.com


the body’s healthy tissues. “Tose shared characteristics hold the potential for shared treatments, and ultimately potentially com- mon cures,” says Jane Buckner, president of the Benaroya Research Institute (BRI), at Virginia Mason, in Seattle, which works to advance the prediction, prevention, reversal and cure of immune system diseases. “I’m excited about our progress to-


ward prevention. We are working to under- stand those tipping points in transitioning into disease that help us understand who is at highest risk, and helps give very directed therapies,” says James.


Self-Healing from


Autoimmunity By her early 20s, Mickey Trescott, of Willamette Valley, Oregon, was bedrid- den and had lost her job to autoimmune


metamorworks/Shutterstock.com


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