The Role of Natural Compounds in Autoimmune Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

A series of natural compounds have been implicated to be useful in regulating the pathogenesis of various autoimmune diseases. Diet can influence different stages of inflammation and have an important impact on several inflammatory diseases. Increasing scientific evidence has shown that polyphenolic compounds, such as flavonoids—which are found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, or cocoa—can have anti-inflammatory properties. The prevalence of autoimmune diseases in the world population is approximately 3%, including such serious diseases as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis. Autoimmune diseases occur within different tissues, in which they are mainly auto-reactive and, finally, proliferate in a systemic pathological state. Aside from the complex symptoms of these diseases, their treatments have only been palliative. Recent medical research shows that natural compounds (plant-derived natural compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, etc.) could be promising strategies to fight against these autoimmune diseases. Moreover, novel technologies such as network pharmacology, molecular docking, and high-throughput screening have been gradually applied in natural product development. Many effective natural compounds act via the modulation of multiple proteins rather than single targets. Broad interdisciplinary research is the most promising approach to contribute to the treatment of autoimmune disease. Anti-inflammatory diets may be promoted for these inflammatory autoimmune conditions. They include several foods that are believed to interfere with the inflammatory process, though research on their exact mechanism is not conclusive; thus, further research is needed to elucidate how these diets could be beneficial for patients suffering from autoimmune diseases.

Dr. Katarína Bauerová
Guest Editor

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• autoimmune diseases
• rheumatoid arthritis
• multiple sclerosis
• type 1 diabetes mellitus
• Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
• natural compounds
• network pharmacology
• molecular docking