INFLAMMATORY DISEASE OVERVIEW
As the scientific understanding of inflammatory processes has grown, the category of diseases with inflammatory components has also expanded. For example, atherosclerosis, once thought to be caused primarily by the abnormal accumulation of lipids in arteries, is now understood to be a pathologic response to arterial injury and the subsequent inflammatory cascade.
Inflammation is, of course, the body's normal, protective response to an injury. But in many circumstances the inflammatory response, if left unchecked, can do more harm than good, presenting both a risk to those who suffer from inflammatory diseases and a challenge for drug research and development.
Inflammatory diseases cover a broad spectrum of conditions, including:
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Rheumatoid arthritis
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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
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Multiple Sclerosis
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
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Asthma
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Allergic rhinitis
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Cardiovascular disease
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Although inflammation is the unifying factor among the diseases listed above, the treatment approach required for each type of inflammatory disease may be unique. Yet many of the current therapies available today (e.g., immunosuppression for IBD), treat only the symptoms of the disease, not the underlying cause of inflammation, and may cause serious adverse effects when used as chronic therapy.
