Last Updated on 21 June 2024
Even though doctors affirm that no cure is possible for autoimmune diseases, medical research is making great strides forward to find specific cures for all the autoimmune disorders which are plaguing humans in these obscure years.
At the current time, indeed, there are over 100 different autoimmune disorders with several degrees of severity, but each of them always has a negative impact on the life of patients.
This article has just collected the main news about innovative cures to defeat many types of autoimmune diseases.
Autoimmune Disease Overview
An autoimmune disease occurs when the body attacks itself because it is mistakenly unable to recognize its own cells.
It is this incapacity (maybe due to a genetic mutation) that triggers an antigenic reaction against specific parts of the body, which, in turn, are attacked by antibodies produced by our immune system.
This wrong reaction results in inflammation which gives rise to extreme discomfort and various symptoms, such as mood swings, depression, anxiety, food sensitivities, low stress tolerance, vitamin deficiency, joint pain and other severe effects that transform the life of patients into an ordeal.
The main and common symptom of autoimmune diseases is always a lifelong inflammatory process which, obviously, becomes chronic. The final stage, instead, is the permanent destruction of the affected tissues, which, gradually, become unable to perform their biological functions.
Role of T Cells in Autoimmune Disorders
In autoimmune diseases, a crucial role is played by T cells, a class of cells that our immune system uses to protect us from viral, bacterial infections and cancer cells.
T cells are programmed to attack the proteins of viruses, bacteria and tumors that cause diseases. In this case, these proteins are called “antigens”, namely enemies to attack, fight and eliminate from our body with the end to make us heal.
But, when the “antigenic reaction” and the resulting inflammation occur against our same healthy cells, or rather, against their proteins, that means when T cells make antibodies which attack human cells, considering them as antigens (enemies), we fall into the awful grip of autoimmune disorder.
It may be Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (that I have), if the attack is against the thyroid gland; rheumatoid arthritis, if the attack is against the joints; and so on, until the most debilitating and devastating autoimmune diseases which can lead to death.
Autoimmune Cures
Fortunately, science moved on, and searched several options to successfully treat autoimmune diseases and improve the surviving expectation of those who experience autoimmune ailments.
Here is the list of the discoveries made over the years.
Immunosuppressants
In 2012, the Association Autoimmune.org published detailed research about the usage of immunosuppressants to cure autoimmune diseases.
These are a category of drugs, such as corticosteroids, cytotoxic agents, antibodies, interferons, and anti-immunophilins, which have the effect of weakening the response of our immune system, soothing the autoimmune symptoms.
Unfortunately, this therapy is not selective, because it inhibits the immune system as a whole, exposing us to risk of infections and cancer.
Over time, hence, a new necessity emerged: it was the one to find more selective molecules capable of inhibiting only the T cells that attack our body by mistake.
Nanoparticles
A likely answer for the previous need is in the latest clinical trial dating back to November 2022. After being published in the journal ACS Nano, the study, conducted at Scripps Research Institute, was reported by ScienceDaily on December 1.
During the tests, scientists have applied an innovative therapy which does not cause total immune suppression, because it inhibits just the immune cells responsible for the autoimmune disorder and leaves the rest of immune cells unharmed.
James Paulson, PhD, Cecil H. and Ida M. Green, Chair of Chemistry in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research, treated, in fact, arthritis in mice thanks to nanoparticles targeted only towards the immune cells that trigger the autoimmune attack.
The team of scientists and researchers has also affirmed that many autoimmune diseases are triggered by immune cells attacking only a type of protein known as “self-antigen”.
“Several autoimmune diseases are caused by an autoimmune response against a single self-antigen, such as some types of arthritis, the skin blister disease known as pemphigus and the thyroid ailment Graves’ disease.”
The bottom strategy of the nanoparticle cure is, hence, to eliminate or deactivate only the immune cells that attack the self-antigen.
Starting from this principle, the researchers, including Katarzyna Brzezicka, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate in the Paulson lab, research assistant Britni Arlian, and other lab members, have, consequently, developed nanoparticles that could deactivate two types of immune cells: B cells and T cells.
These molecules have a copy of a self-antigen on their surface in addition to a sugar molecule that binds to a receptor of the targeted immune cells, preventing them from making antibodies against the true self-antigen.
With this method, the unhealthy immune cells shut before attacking the body, stopping the autoimmune process.
In short: nanoparticles are programmed like software, to recognize only the target to suppress.
Furthermore, each nanoparticle is mixed with a powerful compound called rapamycin. The latter stimulates the production of regulatory T cells for eliminating the T cells that trigger the autoimmune attack.
This long-therapy could be extremely beneficial to treat many autoimmune ailments without the side effects of immunosuppressants.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is being successfully used to treat cancer, but a new promising study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO discovered that a cancer therapy called CAR-T could be used to cure multiple sclerosis (MS), as well.
The results of the study have been published in Science Immunology and reported by MedicalNewsToday on December, 9, 2022.
Cart-T therapy has been initially designed to kill tumor cells. With this cure, a doctor takes the T cells from a blood sample of the patient.
These cells are genetically altered to recognize and kill bad cells, such as cancer cells. The genetically modified T cells are, then, administered to the patient through infusion.
The study, performed on mice, found that the treatment can be used to cure autoimmune diseases, as well.
In the case of MS, the researchers developed a molecule combining part of a protein found in the myelin sheath covering nerve fibers and a protein that activates T cells.
This combination should make the genetically modified T cells capable of recognizing and killing the T cells that trigger the MS attack.
Even immunotherapy is an extremely selective cure to target only defective cells, leaving the others intact.
Biologic Therapy
What is known as biologic therapy is, actually, associated with monoclonal antibodies. These are a set of drugs used to treat malignant tumors, rheumatic diseases and even infectious diseases such as Covid-19.
Between 2007 and 2012, monoclonal antibodies have also been studied and tested to treat autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthropathy, systemic sclerosis (SyS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and vasculitis.
The clinical trials included the following drugs: tocilizumab, rituximab, ofatumumab, belimumab, epratuzumab, abatacept, golimumab, certolizumab, and sifalimumab.
These medications were administered through intravenous infusion with the purpose to block the altered immune cells that cause the inflammatory cascade.
However, the action mechanism of monoclonal antibodies is different, depending on the type of drug used and the single disease treated.
In certain cases, monoclonal antibodies block a few classes of proteins; in other cases, they act on the differentiation of B cells, or activating healthy T cells; in further cases, they work on the inflammatory interleukins.
But the goal is only one, namely: modulating or reducing the inflammatory response of the immune system.
Over time, biologic therapy has been abandoned for the high costs and the heavy side effects related to its usage.
Natural Therapy
Natural therapy offers a free side effect approach for autoimmune disease treatment. Early studies on the benefits of herbs to treat autoimmune and inflammatory disorders were published in 2012, in the Journal of Restorative Medicine.
Among these curative herbs, you find hops, artemisia, green tea, sarsaparilla, ginger and turmeric.
Lots of these plants have been used in Chinese and Indian medicines since the most ancient times.
These herbs work as immune system regulators, inhibiting the bad immune cells that cause inflammation and stimulating the healthy cells that protect us from cancer and other no-autoimmune disorders.
Turmeric, for example, suppresses inflammatory interleukins and stimulates the biosynthesis of glutathione, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants produced by the liver.
Hops, instead, is a rambling plant belonging to the family of Cannabinacea and is used in herbal medicine both as a sedative and a nervine. A clinical trial found that pain and inflammation treatment for 9 hours with hops is equal to 400 mg of Ibuprofen.
Patients with osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and fibromyalgia have been treated just with this plant, which is also used to make beer.
The complete list of herbs to soothe the effects of autoimmune diseases is in the website of the Association for the Advancement of Restorative Medicine.
Surgery
Some years ago, a non-conventional surgical intervention raised clamor and attention around the globe.
That was the so-called venous angioplasty, a procedure to treat the blockages of large veins which cause excruciating pain and extreme swelling.
It is performed through a metal mesh tube known as Stent, placed into the vein to hold it open and remove blood lumps which cause ictus and other cardiovascular diseases.
This surgical treatment was also applied to patients with multiple sclerosis, to relieve the neurologic effects of this autoimmune disease. It was an invasive procedure which could have serious complications, such as infection, vein disruption, vein blockage worsening, allergic reaction and kidney damage.
For those reasons, the treatment is no longer advised for an autoimmune disease like MS.
A study published on Jama Neurology found, in fact, that venous angioplasty does not inhibit the progression of multiple sclerosis and that proceeding thusly would be only harmful for patients.
Anyway, the full venous angioplasty procedure is explained on the website of Saint Luke Hospital.
Functional Medicine
There is another remedy for chronic inflammatory diseases that have autoimmune roots. It is known as functional medicine.
Truth to tell, that is not a real cure, but a remedy applied by traditional doctors who practice alternative medicine.
Functional treatment, in fact, leverages a customized approach for the symptoms caused by autoimmune disorders.
In this case, the doctor who practices this type of cure, prescribes you with diet, lifestyle changes, vitamins, herbs or supplements which can be able to soothe inflammation, pain, food sensitivities and other autoimmune symptoms.
In my case, the doctor prescribed me with a gluten free diet and two different food supplements to manage the vitamin deficiency, stomach pain and inflammation triggered by Hashimoto’s disease.
Currently, functional medicine is quite a young movement which is gradually spreading throughout the world: you can already find many doctors who follow this new treatment. One of them is Dr. Sarah Davies.
Conclusion
Autoimmune diseases are on the rise, by now, maybe why humans altered or lost the relationship with the natural environment.
When the body attacks itself, it is sending us a message of pain and a help request.
And it is this inner scream we must listen to, with modern therapies which aim to restore health and wellness, without waiting for the tissue destruction, as conventional cures have done so far.
Concrete support to this desperate autoimmune response of our body could come from innovative treatments like the ones I listed in this article.
If properly applied, these cures could finally break this epidemic chain of autoimmune disorders. The premise is more than a miracle: it is a reality.
References & Bibliography
- Suppression of Autoimmune Rheumatoid Arthritis with Hybrid Nanoparticles That Induce B and T Cell Tolerance to Self-Antigen – Katarzyna A. Brzezicka, Britni M. Arlian, Shengyang Wang, Merissa Olmer, Martin Lotz, and James C. Paulson, – ACS Nano Article – DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c05643
- Antigen-specific depletion of CD4+ T cells by CAR T cells reveals distinct roles of higher- and lower-affinity TCRs during autoimmunity – Jaeu Yi, Aidan T. Miller, Angela S. Archambault, Andrew, J. Jones, Tara R. Bradstree,t Sravanthi Bandla, Yu-Sung Hsu, Brian T. Edelson, You W. Zhou, Daved H. Fremont, Takeshi Egawa, Nathan Singh, Gregory F., Wu, Chyi-Song Hsieh – Science Immunology – December 7, 2022 – https://doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.abo0777
- Rosman Z, Shoenfeld Y, Zandman-Goddard G. Biologic therapy for autoimmune diseases: an update. BMC Med. 2013 Apr 4;11:88. doi: 10.1186/1741-7015-11-88. PMID: 23557513; PMCID: PMC3616818-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3616818/
- Efficacy and Safety of Extracranial Vein Angioplasty in Multiple Sclerosis A Randomized Clinical Trial -Paolo Zamboni, Luigi Tesio, Stefania Galimberti, Luca Massacesi; Fabrizio Salvi; Roberto D’Alessandro; Patrizia Cenni, Roberto Galeotti, Donato Papini, Roberto D’Amico, Silvana Simi; Maria Grazia Valsecchi, Graziella Filippino for the Brave Dreams Research Group -JAMA Neurol. Published online November 18, 2017. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.3825
