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Benefits of Embrel

"Embrel" is a common mispronunciation of a pharmeceutical product called Enbrel, which is the trade name for the drug Etanercept. Enbrel is actually a synthetically created protein that suppresses the TNF, or tumor necrosis factor, within the human immune system, and allows for the treatment of several joint and skin-related ailments. The treatment is administered by being injected into the skin, after which the Enbrel works by severing the path between the TNF in your body and the receptors on the cell surfaces.

  1. Benefits

    • The greatest benefit of Enbrel is the fact that it can be used to treat many debilitating autoimmune illnesses. These illnesses include ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, adult rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and plaque psoriasis. Because TNF cells can cause a patient's body to develop these ailments, the use of Enbrel slows their progression by suppressing the TNF cells and preventing them from making contact with other cells. This stops, and sometimes partially reverses, the damage caused by the TNF cells. However, it is not a permanent cure.

    Arthritis

    • TNF cells are often the leading cause of various types of arthritis, especially juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, adult rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, This is because TNF is the primary regulator of inflammation in all of the major organs. If TNF becomes too active, the inflammation can become excessive, causing great pain in certain parts of the body. Because Enbrel suppresses the function of TNF in the body, it can also allow arthritis sufferers to function normally without feeling pain or discomfort.

    Psoriasis

    • Enbrel can temporarily reduce and sometimes reverse the physical symptoms of plaque psoriasis. The TNF cells can cause the skin cells affected by psoriasis to flake, itch and occasionally bleed. In addition to the physical discomfort that sufferers have to go through, there is also a sense of psychological discomfort, as many victims of psoriasis become greatly embarrassed by the effects of the affliction on their skin. The embarrassment can become so great that many sufferers will avoid contact with other people. However, by suppressing the effects of the TNF cells, Enbrel can remove the visual effects of psoriasis and allow sufferers to live normally.

    Other Uses

    • While Enbrel has only been licensed by the FDA to treat various types of arthritis and psoriasis, it is also being tested for its effects on other afflictions, as TNF cells are a central factor in many diseases. The most promising of these tests so far has shown that Enbrel has a small but significant positive effect on patients who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Several studies have shown that when Enbrel is administered through injection around the spine, it can actually cause the mental conditions of Alzheimer's sufferers to improve.

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