What are immune-mediated inflammatory diseases?

Your immune system is your body's defence against infection

and illness.i

It contains T-cells, which directly attack cells infected with viruses, and act as

regulators of the immune system.ii

For people who are affected by diseases linked to the imune system, their bodies attack healthy tissue, causing inflammation, pain and damage in different parts of

the body. iii

Inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid

arthritis, MS, asthma, Crohn’s disease,

ulcerative colitis, psoriasis and uveitis are

all common types of immune mediated

diseases.iv

So far, over 80 types of autoimmune diseases have been identified.iv

The Future of

Immunology

i. UK Science Museum. What does your immune system do? Available at: http://whoami.sciencemuseum.org.uk/whoami/findoutmore/yourbody/whatdo-esyourimmunesystemdo. Accessed October 2018.

ii. Immune Deficiency Foundation. The Immune System and Primary Immunodeficiency. Available at: https://primaryimmune.org/about-primary-immunodeficien-cies/immune-system-and-primary-immunodeficiency. Accessed October 2018

iii. National Health Service (2016). Causes Rheumatoid arthritis. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/causes/. Accessed October 2018. v. Asthma Statistics, https://statistics.blf.org.uk/asthma

iv. British Society for Immunology (2016). Autoimmunity: policy briefing. Available at: https://www.immunology.org/sites/default/files/autoimmunity-briefing.pdf. Accessed October 2018.

References

70 years of immunological research

1948 Astrid Fagraeus’s PHD thesis

describes antibody production by B plasma cells.i

1957 Rheumatoid Arthritis found to be an autoimmune disease.i

1960 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Peter

Medawar & Frank Macfarlane Burnet for the discovery

of acquired immunological tolerance.i

1980The world’s first immunosuppressant drug was first used for organ transplant. i

1987 Intravenous immunoglobulin

first used to treat autoimmune-like disorder.i

1993 First successful clinical use of anti-TNF antibodies to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis.i2003

Human Genome Project completed – scientists

now use this to map specific gene mutations to

inflammatory disorders.i

2011 IL-17 is associated with

a range of autoimmune conditions defining it as a new therapeutic target.i

2004 Psoriasis first described as an autoimmune disease.i

2018 Creation of the world’s largest Immune Mediated Inflammatory Disease Biobank. i

i. The Future of Immunology (2018). Shaping the future of immunological research in the UK together. Booklet available on request.

References

Current research & the Future of Immunology

For the past 70 years, academic institutions and the life sciences industry in the UK have led in immunological research.

Research findings have resulted in increased understanding of, and new ways to manage autoimmune diseases.

But it is critical that we advance our research efforts and understanding of the causes and management of these debilitating conditions.

Our joint vision sets out to shape the future of immunology in the UK.

1. More research investment

3. Timely diagnosis

2. Improved experience for people living with diseases linked to the immune system

4. Better access to advances in patient care

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Together we’re calling for: