What’s it like to live with an autoimmune condition?

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have released a video showing the story of Catilin, who was diagnosed with psoriatic juvenile idiopathic arthritis aged 11.

In the video, Caitlin discusses how she has had to navigate the pain, uncertainty and everyday challenges that can come with an immune-mediated disease (IMID) for the past 16 years.

Catilin had psoriatic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or psoriatic arthritis - an inflammatory condition of the joints which can cause pain and swelling in affected joints. Most people who have psoriatic arthritis find it occurs after developing skin psoriasis, but some do develop the arthritis before they notice any psoriasis on their skin.

Researching IMIDs

Earlier this year, Psoriasis UK joined the Connect Immune Research partnership - an innovative, cross-disciplinary initiative focused on advancing autoimmune research.

Established in 2018, Connect Immune Research is a collaborative initiative that brings a growing number of charities together to better understand the common biological/physiological processes underlying autoimmune conditions.

This partnership is a welcome addition to the research we are currently funding ourselves, and the projects that we are currently collaborating on with others.

UKRI, the UK's largest public funder of research and innovation, is also supporting research to better understand what causes IMIDs.