Research reveals the co-evolution of human and immune diseases

mutations that allow humans to fight deadly infections also make us more susceptible to certain inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn's disease. In a review published November 27 in Immunological Trends, researchers describe how gene origin affects the likelihood of immune-related diseases in people of African or Eurasian descent. The researchers also shared evidence that the human immune system is still evolving, depending on where a person lives or how they live.
the body's best defense against infectious diseases is inflammation. Lead author Jorge Dominguez-Andres, a researcher at the Netherlands Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, and others collected data from genetic, immunology, microbiology and virology studies and determined how the DNA of people in different communities who are usually infected with bacterial or viral diseases changes, leading to inflammation.
while these changes make it more difficult for certain pathogens to infect these communities, over time they are also associated with the emergence of new inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn's disease, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease.
"There seems to be a balance here. Human evolution is about defending against disease, but we can't stop it, so the benefits also make us more sensitive to new diseases. Dominguez-Andres said.
, for example, malaria parasites have been infected in Africa for millions of years. Because of this, the evolutionary process selected those who increased resistance to infection by causing more inflammation in the body. This has also led to modern Africans being more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, in later life.
effects of changes in the immune system in this group are a relatively new finding. "But we need stronger technology. As a result, next-generation sequencing technology is booming, which allows us to do more research, so we get a more comprehensive view. Dominguez-Andres said.
also reveal how the human immune system evolved in real time as a result of modern lifestyle changes. Changes in hygiene patterns over the past two centuries have improved sanitation, drinking water and garbage collection, and access to infectious pathogens has decreased compared to previous ones. But people's bodies also adapt by developing what researchers call "civilized diseases," such as type 2 diabetes.
" lifestyle and ecological properties may affect the immune response. So we need to do more. Dominguez-Andres said. (Source: Tang Erdu, China Science Journal)
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