Immunology

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the digestive tract and impacting over 300,000 people in Canada. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are two of the most common forms of IBD. 

Systemic sclerosis is a rare autoimmune condition that affects connective tissue in the body, typically causing the skin to thicken and tighten. The disease can impact other organs and commonly manifests as interstitial lung disease, which affects the tissue and space around the air sacs of the lungs. Interstitial lung disease caused by systemic sclerosis is known as scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).

Hidradenitis suppurativa, also known as acne inversa, is a condition that causes painful skin lumps, which are often mistaken for pimples and cysts. These lumps are typically found near hair follicles around sweat glands, including the groin, breasts and armpits. Without treatment, the condition can worsen and cause abscesses, or pockets of pus, that can break open and form scars, and may also lead to the formation of tunnels under the skin, called sinus tracts. Hidradenitis suppurativa can have long-term impacts, including decreased mobility due to scarring and chronic intense pain.

Radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) (also known as ankylosing spondylitis) is a chronic inflammatory condition that primarily affects the spine and the joints which connect the spine to the pelvis. It’s characterized by persistent pain and damage that is visible on X-ray imaging.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune condition that primarily causes inflammation, pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints, especially in the hands, wrists and feet. It can also affect skin, eyes, mouth, heart and lungs. In the U.S., close to 485,000 adults live with RA, representing 1.36% of the population aged 16 years and older.