Autoimmune diseases affect four of every 100 Americans and cost an estimated $20 billion a year in medical care. There are approximately 80 different types of autoimmune diseases. While many autoimmune diseases are little known, they all have a common cause: the immune system --which is designed to protect the body against infection-- makes a mistake and attacks its own healthy tissue.

The diverse array of autoimmune diseases includes illnesses throughout the body such as:

• skin (psoriasis)
• joints (rheumatoid arthritis)
• nervous system (multiple sclerosis)
• gut (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease)
• endocrine system (Type 1 diabetes and thyroid disease)
• no tissue or organ is exempt from autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune diseases affect not only many different organs, but also vary greatly among the individuals who have them, in terms of their severity and the responsiveness to therapy. This level of complexity is also reflected in the causes of these diseases, including multiple genetic and environmental factors.

Good Progress in Unlocking the Mysteries of the Immune System

But today, scientists are making great headway in unlocking the mysteries of the immune system and solving the puzzle of these diseases. BRI’s overall objective is to develop therapies to retrain faulty immune systems so they won’t attack healthy tissues.

Below is a list of the immune diseases that BRI is studying to find causes and cures for the illness. Our search engine will provide you with information on how this disease is being researched.  For more information on the broad scope of autoimmune diseases, see our list of 50 selected autoimmune diseases. 

Anklosing spondylitis
Arthritis (Rheumatoid)
Crohn’s Disease
Diabetes (Type 1 diabetes, juvenile or autoimmune diabetes)
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Inflammatory bowel disease
Lupus
Multiple sclerosis
Psoriatic arthritis
Relapsing polychondritis
Scleroderma
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic sclerosis
Ulcerative colitis

Look for clinical research trials for diseases.