The process of acute inflammation is designed to control and eliminate the invasion of foreign proteins in the body, whether from bacteria, viruses, foreign cells (other biological cells that are not of human origin) or cancer cells. But when the inflammatory process works overtime, normal human cells of various types are damaged or destroyed.

In an effort to learn how to keep inflammation from damaging good cells, scientists have been thoroughly dissecting the inflammatory process. They've identified multiple components of the process and created drugs to offset the harm that over-inflammation can cause. These drugs are intended to stop acute exacerbations of arthritis or colitis and life-threatening bouts of asthma, anaphylactic shock or heart attacks.

Is inflammation the cause of disease?

This is the newest idea capturing the imagination of medical investigators. We know that heart disease is caused by inflammation of the lining of the arteries. We know that inflammation of the lining in the stomach or small intestine causes peptic ulcer disease. The cause of colon cancer is inflammation of the lining of the colon.

Inflammation is the body's standard response to irritants. Every medical professional is taught to recognize the signs – the simple flair and wheal – the skin's redness and swelling after a scratch or bee sting. When an irritant comes in contact with the body, the body reacts with inflammation.