Inflammatory and immune diseases occur in many different forms and range in severity from inconvenient and irritating to debilitating and life threatening. Common conditions involving immune system dysfunction include diabetes, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), immune deficiency disorders, inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., IBD, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis), lupus, graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), dermatological conditions (e.g., psoriasis, eczema), pelvic inflammatory disease, pulmonary conditions, scleroderma, transplant rejection, vasculitis and a range of others. According to the National Institutes of Health, there are more than 80 different recognized types of autoimmune disease. Collectively, these conditions affect many millions of individuals in the United States and the rest of the world and represent a substantial healthcare and socioeconomic burden.
Inflammatory and immune conditions are caused by an acute or chronic imbalance in the immune system. In these conditions, cells of the immune system begin to attack certain tissues or organs in the body, resulting in tissue damage and loss of function. While currently available immunomodulatory drugs have proven to be effective for many patients, they have failed to adequately address the needs of many other patients that suffer from inflammatory and immune disorders.
To learn more, visit our inflammatory & Immune page.