Researchers identify key driver of inflammatory bowel disease and are optimistic about improvement.
Abdominal pain and chronic diarrhea are important symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). This term involves various disorders of the tissues of the digestive tract over a long period, the most common forms being ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
In our country, the IBD rate is estimated at 0.7% and a slight increase is expected by 2030, reaching 1% of the Spanish population.
A recent study reveals a key clue about the true cause of this chronic condition. It is believed that 95% of cases are caused by a specific weakness in DNA. This means that we are the generators of this disease.
But the good news is that some drugs already available could reverse the disease.
Learn how a person with IBD feels and all the details of this research that could give a tour in the course of this chronic condition that affects the quality of life.
The most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease
The most common forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
- Ulcerative colitis particularly affects the inner lining of the large intestine (colon), especially the rectum.
- Crohn’s disease is not limited to the colon but can affect other parts of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus.
The symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease can be mild or severe, depending on the intensity of the inflammation and the area affected. There may be periods of flare-ups where symptoms worsen or periods of remission, although the symptoms do not disappear completely.
In general, the most common symptoms of both IBD conditions include:
- Diarrhea.
- Fatigue.
- Abdominal pain and cramps.
- Bleeding in the stool.
- Involuntary loss of appetite and weight .
News: What is the main cause of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, according to researchers?
As we mentioned earlier, a new study has provided an important advance in the investigation of what could be the main cause of this chronic disease of the digestive system.
Specifically, the team of researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and University College London analyzed the genetic impact on the susceptibility to IBD and discovered that the weak point would be our DNA, that is, ourselves.
Researchers have found that a section of the genetic code (or DNA) is the “master regulator.” This means that it could be responsible for inflammation in macrophages, a type of white blood cell found in the blood that defends our body from foreign substances, such as microorganisms and dead cells.
Dr James Lee, from the Francis Crick Institute, explained to the British broadcaster BBC that this “genetic weakness” has to do with the fact that this gene regulates the inflammatory chemicals released by macrophages to attract other immune cells to the area of infection.
So some people are born more prone to over-response. “This is certainly one of the central pathways that go wrong for people to develop IBD,” Lee explained.
In addition, the researcher pointed out that “it is the process by which one of the most important cells that causes Inflammatory Bowel Disease fails.”
Hope: A new way to treat inflammatory bowel disease
Among ongoing experiments to improve IBD symptoms, Dr. Lee’s research has revealed a new way to treat this chronic condition.
The good news, says Dr. Lee, is that this research not only uncovered “ how and why something goes wrong but also a possible new way to treat these diseases .”
The gastroenterologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London also told the British network that they were trying to prove that ” drugs that are already approved for other diseases such as cancer were capable of calming this excessive inflammation .”
That said, researchers are partly on the right track, but they still need to delve deeper into the side effects these drugs could cause in susceptible patients, in other parts of the body.
