Autoimmune Disease
In a healthy person, the immune system fights off viruses and bacteria. However, autoimmune diseases result in the body using its own immune defenses against itself, the body it was designed to protect. Scientists and researchers believe there are about 80-100 different autoimmune diseases, including conditions such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association estimates that up to fifty million Americans suffer from an autoimmune condition, which makes it one of the most common categories of disease, ahead of even cancer. Join us as we explore the nature of autoimmune disease and look at technologies that are aimed at diagnosing and treating these devastating illnesses.