If you want to learn the basics of immune cells, or just see some cool graphics, check out the Biolegend website. The company sells some of the test lab tools that are key to immunology research. Play around with their interactive graphic and blow your mind.
Maybe the site will inspire a young genius or two to become a next-generation immunologist. There are more than 80 different autoimmune disorders where the immune system is no longer self-tolerant. A lot of people need help, and the trend seems to be that there will be many more autoimmune diseases to come.
http://www.biolegend.com/basic_immunology
The National Institute of Health (NIH) estimates up to 23.5 million Americans* have an autoimmune disease (AD). In comparison, cancer affects up to 9 million and heart disease up to 22 million.
• NIH estimates annual direct health care costs for AD to be in the range of $100 billion (source: NIH presentation by Dr. Fauci, NIAID). In comparison, cancers costs are $57 billion (source: NIH,ACS), and heart and stroke costs are $200 billion (source: NIH, AHA).
• NIH research funding for AD in 2003 came to $591 million. In comparison, cancer funding came to $6.1 billion; and heart and stroke, to $2.4 billion (source: NIH).
• The NIH Autoimmune Diseases Research Plan states; “Research discoveries of the last decade have made autoimmune research one of the most promising areas of new discovery.”
• According to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Women’s Health, autoimmune disease and disorders ranked #1 in a top ten list of most popular health topics requested by callers to the National Women’s Health Information Center.
• NIH estimates annual direct health care costs for AD to be in the range of $100 billion (source: NIH presentation by Dr. Fauci, NIAID). In comparison, cancers costs are $57 billion (source: NIH,ACS), and heart and stroke costs are $200 billion (source: NIH, AHA).
• NIH research funding for AD in 2003 came to $591 million. In comparison, cancer funding came to $6.1 billion; and heart and stroke, to $2.4 billion (source: NIH).
• The NIH Autoimmune Diseases Research Plan states; “Research discoveries of the last decade have made autoimmune research one of the most promising areas of new discovery.”
• According to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Women’s Health, autoimmune disease and disorders ranked #1 in a top ten list of most popular health topics requested by callers to the National Women’s Health Information Center.
* The American Autoimmune Related Disease Association (AARDA) says that 50 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease. The NIH numbers only include 24 diseases for which good epidemiology studies are available.
An autoimmune disorder may affect one or more organ or tissue types. Areas often affected by autoimmune disorders include:
- Blood vessels
- Connective tissues
- Endocrine glands such as the thyroid or pancreas
- Joints
- Muscles
- Red blood cells
- Skin
A person may have more than one autoimmune disorder at the same time. Common autoimmune disorders include:
- Addison's disease
- Celiac disease - sprue (gluten-sensitive enteropathy)
- Dermatomyositis
- Graves' disease
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Myasthenia gravis
- Pernicious anemia
- Reactive arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sjogren syndrome
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Type I diabetes
No comments:
Post a Comment