Gastrointestinal Tract News and Research

RSS

Vitamin D supplementation may treat Crohn’s disease

New research published in this month’s edition of United European Gastroenterology Journal suggests that supplementation with vitamin D may impact on the intestinal barrier dysfunction associated with Crohn’s disease, and could have a role in the treatment of the condition.

15 Jun 2015

Vitamin D supplementation may affect intestinal barrier dysfunction associated with Crohn's disease

New research published in this month's edition of United European Gastroenterology journal suggests that supplementation with vitamin D may impact on the intestinal barrier dysfunction associated with Crohn's disease, and could have a role in the treatment of the condition.

13 Jun 2015

Study identifies unique bacterial signature in people with systemic sclerosis

The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) Press Conference showed that people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) have a unique bacterial signature in their colon, when compared with healthy people.

12 Jun 2015

Genetically-programmed probiotics could help detect liver cancer metastases early-on

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have described a new method for detecting liver cancer metastases in mice. The approach uses over-the-counter probiotics genetically programmed to produce signals easily detectable in urine when liver cancer metastases are present.

2 Jun 2015

Treatment significantly reduces risk of CDI recurrence

Among patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) who recovered following standard treatment with the antibiotics metronidazole or vancomycin, oral administration of spores of a strain of C difficile that does not produce toxins colonized the gastrointestinal tract and significantly reduced CDI recurrence, according to a study in the May 5 issue of JAMA.

7 May 2015

Fecal transplantation cures C. diff infection, eliminates multi-drug resistant pathogens

A fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) not only cured a case of Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection in a 66 year old man; it eliminated populations of multi-drug resistant organisms both in the patient's gastrointestinal tract, and several other body sites.

7 May 2015

Relaxation response has significant impact on patients with gastrointestinal disorders

A pilot study has found that participating in a nine-week training program including elicitation of the relaxation response had a significant impact on clinical symptoms of the gastrointestinal disorders irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease and on the expression of genes related to inflammation and the body's response to stress.

6 May 2015

Special issue of Gastroenterology highlights how food impacts health and disease

Patients are always interested in understanding what they should eat and how it will impact their health. Physicians are just as interested in advancing their understanding of the major health effects of foods and food-related diseases.

28 Apr 2015

Study: Alginate-enriched bread can reduce fat digestion, circulatory lipids in NAFLD patients

A study revealed today at The International Liver Congress 2015 has demonstrated that alginate-enriched bread has the potential to inhibit fat digestion and circulatory lipids in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

23 Apr 2015

Researchers uncover methylated DNA markers that may lead to noninvasive cancer screening

A team of Mayo Clinic researchers has succeeded in identifying the source of cancer in patients' gastrointestinal tracts by analyzing DNA markers from tumors. The results open the possibility that doctors could one day be able to screen for cancer anywhere in the body with a noninvasive blood test or stool sample.

22 Apr 2015

Study calls for more intensive psychotherapeutic support for patients with alcohol addiction

The mortality of alcohol dependent patients in general hospitals is many times higher than that of patients without alcohol dependency.

3 Apr 2015

UAB scientist explores the bone development function of runx2 gene

Amjad Javed, Ph.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has taken a major step forward in understanding the bone development function of a gene called runx2, which could lead to future ways to speed bone healing, aid bone bioengineering, stem osteoporosis and reduce arthritis.

30 Mar 2015

Helsinn, Mundipharma sign distribution and license agreement for anamorelin

Helsinn, a Swiss Group focused on building quality cancer care, and Mundipharma, today announce that they have entered into a distribution and license agreement for the exclusive rights to anamorelin in China, Hong Kong and Macao.

26 Mar 2015

Saccharin could potentially lead to development of drugs for difficult-to-treat cancers

Saccharin, the artificial sweetener that is the main ingredient in Sweet 'N Low, Sweet Twin and Necta, could do far more than just keep our waistlines trim. According to new research, this popular sugar substitute could potentially lead to the development of drugs capable of combating aggressive, difficult-to-treat cancers with fewer side effects.

23 Mar 2015

Washington University researchers develop way to apply light-based therapy to reach deep tumors

Light long has been used to treat cancer. But phototherapy is only effective where light easily can reach, limiting its use to cancers of the skin and in areas accessible with an endoscope, such as the gastrointestinal tract.

12 Mar 2015

More research needed to explore toxicity of cellulose nanocrystals, says Virginia Tech scientist

Are cellulose nanocrystals harmful to human health? The answer might depend on the route of exposure, according to a review of the literature by a Virginia Tech scientist, but there have been few studies and many questions remain.

12 Mar 2015

Methane-producing microorganism may thwart significant weight loss in bariatric patients

The benefits of weight loss surgery, along with a treatment plan that includes exercise and dietary changes, are well documented. In addition to a significant decrease in body mass, many patients find their risk factors for heart disease are drastically lowered and blood sugar regulation is improved for those with Type 2 diabetes.

6 Mar 2015

New study finds increase in use of adjuvant systemic therapy for gastrointestinal stromal tumors

A new study finds that the use of adjuvant systemic therapy for localized gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs ) has significantly increased over time and that patients treated with the therapy have better survival than those treated with surgery alone.

3 Mar 2015

CEGIR launches patient contact registry for people with eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases

To coincide with Rare Disease Day 2015, the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers today launched a patient contact registry for individuals with eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGID), a group of rare diseases.

28 Feb 2015

Researchers introduce the idea of using sewage to study human microbiome

A new study demonstrates that sewage is an effective means to sample the fecal bacteria from millions of people. Researchers say the information gleaned from the work provides a unique opportunity to monitor, through gut microbes, the public health of a large population without compromising the privacy of individuals.

26 Feb 2015