Gastrointestinal Disease News and Research

RSS

ST131 infection is more prevalent in LTCF residents and elderly population

Antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) continues to proliferate, driven largely by expansion of a strain of E. coli know as sequence type ST131. A new study points to hospitals and long-term care facilities (LTCF) as settings in which this antibiotic-resistant strain is increasingly found.

14 Mar 2013

Key areas of disease neglected by UK funding for infectious diseases

UK funding for infectious diseases research is neglecting some of the diseases that result in the highest rates of death and disability, according to an Article published Online First in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

8 Nov 2012

Out-of-pocket spending on health care in old age puts significant strain on finances

The protection of the savings of the elderly-one of the primary goals of Medicare-is under threat from a combination of spiraling healthcare costs and increased longevity. As the government attempts to reduce Medicare costs, one suggestion is that the elderly could pay a larger proportion of the costs of their healthcare. But exactly how much would this be and what impact would it have on their finances?

6 Sep 2012

Elimination diet may help manage cow's milk protein allergy in infants

Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA), although difficult to diagnose in young children, shows a causative relationship to otolaryngic symptoms. A new study in the August journal, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery suggests an elimination diet may help manage such conditions in children under two and reduce the need for more serious upper airway tests and interventions.

8 Aug 2012

Study explores role of L. reuteri against foodborne infection

While many bacteria exist as aggressive pathogens, causing diseases ranging from tuberculosis and cholera, to plague, diphtheria and toxic shock syndrome, others play a less malevolent role and some are critical for human health.

21 Jul 2012

Sigmoid provides financial and product development update

Sigmoid Pharma Ltd., a privately-owned, specialty pharmaceutical and drug delivery company registered in Ireland, today provides an update on significant progress in 2011 and 2012.

19 May 2012

Synthetic stool transplant for C. difficile treatment

A synthetic mixture of intestinal bacteria could one day replace stool transplants as a treatment for Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). C. difficile is a toxin-producing bacteria that can overpopulate the colon when antibiotics eradicate other, naturally protective bacteria living there.

2 May 2012

Vaccine to prevent Campylobacter in chickens can help reduce food-borne illness

A vaccine could be developed to prevent Campylobacter being carried in chickens. This approach could drastically cut the number of cases of food poisoning, saving the UK economy millions each year, says an American scientist presenting his work at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin.

27 Mar 2012

National Colon Cancer Awareness Month attempts to widen screening efforts

March is the National Colon Cancer Awareness Month and to mark it Ferrell Hospital and Harrisburg Medical Center have teamed up with the American Cancer Society to provide free take-home colon cancer tests to anyone who is interested.

25 Mar 2012

UCC professor receives International Leadership Award from ACG

UCC's Professor Eamonn Quigley has been awarded an International Leadership Award from the American College of Gastroenterology, the first person to receive this award worldwide.

3 Nov 2011

Study may help explain plague's rapid evolution and aid in development of therapeutics

In the evolutionary blink of an eye, a bacterium that causes mild stomach irritation evolved into a deadly assassin responsible for the most devastating pandemics in human history. How did the mild-mannered Yersinia pseudotuberculosis become Yersinia pestis, more commonly known as the Plague?

30 Aug 2011

Colchicine more effective than placebo for recurrent pericarditis

Colchicine, when given in addition to conventional therapy, was more effective than placebo in reducing the incidence of recurrence and the persistence of symptoms of pericarditis in a randomised controlled trial.

29 Aug 2011

Gastroenterology journal publishes results of Lexicon LX1031 Phase 2 trial in IBS

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering breakthrough treatments for human disease, announced today that results from the Phase 2 clinical trial of LX1031 in patients with non-constipating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were published earlier this week in the August 2011 edition of the journal Gastroenterology.

11 Aug 2011

Researchers create tissue-engineered small intestine in mice

Researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have successfully created a tissue-engineered small intestine in mice that replicates the intestinal structures of natural intestine-a necessary first step toward someday applying this regenerative medicine technique to humans.

6 Jul 2011

Majority of patients with ulcerative colitis eager to undergo fecal microbiota transplantation

The first study of the social and ethical issues associated with a provocative approach to treatment for ulcerative colitis has found that the majority of potential patients are eager for what is now called "fecal microbiota transplantation" to become available, although many have concerns about donor selection, screening, and methods of delivery.

3 Jun 2011

Molecular mechanism of selected autophagy elucidated

Salmonella is widely prevalent in the animal kingdom. The reason we do not suffer from severe intestinal infections very often is due to our body's defence system, which manages to digest invading bacteria. This is why, generally speaking, a healthy human being will only fall ill if he consumes more than 100.000 salmonella bacteria via a contaminated food source, such as eggs or meat.

27 May 2011

Gut bacteria influences brain chemistry and behaviour: Research

For the first time, researchers at McMaster University have conclusive evidence that bacteria residing in the gut influence brain chemistry and behaviour.

18 May 2011

Pig model reveals how cystic fibrosis gene mutation causes disease

It's been more than 20 years since scientists first discovered the gene that causes cystic fibrosis (CF), yet questions about how the mutated gene causes disease remain unanswered.

17 Mar 2011

Arthritis drug reduces incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers

A widely-used arthritis drug reduces the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers - the most common cancers in humans - according to a study published this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (brand name Celebrex), which is currently approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and acute pain in adults led to a 62 percent reduction in non-melanoma skin cancers, which includes basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas.

3 Dec 2010

Salix acquires rights to colon cancer screening agent from Photocure

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced that the Company has acquired rights to Lumacan™ from Photocure, a Norwegian specialty pharmaceutical company. Lumacan is a novel agent designed to assist in the detection of precancerous and cancerous lesions in the colon.

20 Oct 2010