Inflammatory Bowel Disease News and Research

Latest Inflammatory Bowel Disease News and Research

MUC1 expression indicates progression of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease

Millions of people are afflicted with inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and 30 percent of new cases occur in childhood. Mucin 1, an epithelial mucin that has been shown to elicit both an immune response and to have altered glycosylation in disease, may be a noninvasive indicator of the progression of these illnesses.

20 Apr 2010

Researchers evaluate probiotics' curative effects for treating ulcerative colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic recurrent disease, which mainly consists of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, and whose causes are as yet unclear. Many clinical and research studies have indicated that intestinal flora dysbacteriosis contributes to the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. Probiotics are non-pathogenic beneficial flora, which have important effects on maintaining the balance of intestinal flora.

20 Apr 2010

First case of treating cystic fibrosis and Crohn's disease with infliximab

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-threatening autosomal recessive disease in Caucasian children; it has an incidence of 1 case in every 2500 children born alive. CF involves an anomalous function of the exocrine glands, caused by a mutation of a gene (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, CFTR) located on chromosome 7, which codes for a protein involved in ion transport through the cell membrane.

20 Apr 2010

Results of study comparing REMICADE to azathioprine for Crohn's disease published

Findings published today in The New England Journal of Medicine from a first-of-its-kind comparator trial evaluating the anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha biologic treatment REMICADE (infliximab) in the treatment of moderately to severely active Crohn's disease in patients who were naive to immunomodulator and biologic therapy, showed that a significantly greater proportion of patients receiving REMICADE achieved steroid-free remission and mucosal healing compared with patients receiving azathioprine.

16 Apr 2010

Laquinimod may have neuroprotective properties in addition to anti-inflammatory effects for RRMS

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Active Biotech today announced results from several studies demonstrating that laquinimod, a novel, investigational once-daily oral immunomodulator for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) may have neuroprotective properties in addition to its anti-inflammatory effects.

16 Apr 2010

Cequent Pharmaceuticals commences toxicology study of CEQ508 tkRNAi-based therapeutic candidate

Cequent Pharmaceuticals, a pioneer in the development of novel products to deliver RNAi-based treatments to prevent and treat human disease, has initiated a long-term (26-week) toxicology study of CEQ508 – the company's lead drug candidate based on its proprietary tkRNAi technology. This study is designed to enable a Phase II clinical trial slated for 2011. CEQ508 targets beta-catenin, a key oncogene implicated in the formation of colonic polyps and in the progression of polyps to colorectal cancer.

16 Apr 2010

Current screening methods for FOBT are often not appropriate

More than 75 percent of primary care physicians in the United States who order or perform the fecal occult blood test as a screening option for colorectal cancer perform an in-office test rather than relying on the home-based test, even though the home-based test is more accurate, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found.

16 Apr 2010

2010 UCBeyond Scholarship Program launched to help students living with chronic illnesses

UCB Canada Inc. is proud to announce the launch of the 2010 UCBeyond Scholarship Program. During its four-year lifespan, the UCBeyond Scholarship has allocated almost 70 educational bursaries worth close to $350,000.00 CAN to students living with chronic illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and epilepsy.

15 Apr 2010

Inflammasome components help protect against colitis

Particular components of inflammasomes-protein complexes needed for generating immune responses to pathogens and cellular damage-lessen the severity of colitis and colitis-associated colon cancer in mice, according to a study published online this week in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

13 Apr 2010

S. thermophilus CRL 1190-fermented milk effective in therapeutic treatment of chronic gastritis: Research

Gastritis produced by acetyl-salicylic acid consumption is a common disorder worldwide. The use of probiotics has been proposed to ameliorate different gastrointestinal tract diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, etc. However, little attention has been paid to the use of probiotics in gastric disease.

12 Apr 2010

EndoChoice announces acquisition of Pathworks Anatomic Pathology Laboratory

EndoChoice, Inc. announced today that it has acquired Pathworks Anatomic Pathology Laboratory. Founded in 1989, Pathworks is a College of American Pathologists (CAP) accredited national reference laboratory located in Atlanta, GA. Robert Smith, MD, founder of the laboratory, will assume the Medical Director position of EndoChoice Pathology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EndoChoice, Inc.

8 Apr 2010

Variant of ATG16L1 gene associated with higher risk for Crohn's disease

The ATG16L1 gene is located on chromosome 2 and encodes a protein involved in the formation of autophagosomes during autophagy. Autophagy is a cytoplasmic process that keeps a cell stable. Hampe et al first identified ATG16L1 as a Crohn's disease (CD) susceptibility gene in 2007, and many other studies have arisen since then. However, the definite relationship of variants of ATG16L1 with IBD remains unclear.

2 Apr 2010

New book from AGA helps patients self-manage their IBD and challenges

Inflammatory bowel disease strikes young people between the ages of 15 and 30 most often, but it can appear at any age. It is easy to for the 100,000 people diagnosed with IBD - Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis - each year to feel powerless against this condition, but now, a new book from the AGA helps patients self-manage their IBD and the challenges they face.

1 Apr 2010

Resurgence of mumps orchitis among teenage boys and young men

Urologists at a leading Irish hospital have reported an alarming increase in the number of teenage boys and young men developing mumps orchitis, in a paper published in the April issue of the urology journal BJUI.

30 Mar 2010

Study finds colonoscopy safe for Chinese children

Colonoscopy in children is a highly specialized procedure which is not often performed in the Chinese population. Data of its safety and diagnostic yield in Chinese children is scarce. One of the most common indications for colonoscopy in children of western countries is investigation and follow-up assessment for inflammatory bowel disease which is uncommon in Chinese children. It has recently been reported that there is increasing occurrence of childhood inflammatory bowel disease in western countries. It is, however, unknown whether a similar increase happens in Chinese children.

27 Mar 2010

Single-incision laparoscopy reduces postoperative complications

Surgeons at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report what is believed to be the nation's first single-incision laparoscopy to perform a combined colectomy and kidney-preserving therapy.

26 Mar 2010

Animal study shows chymase inhibitors could advance treatments for high BP and heart failure

Millions of patients with high blood pressure and heart failure take a class of drugs known as ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors. These drugs prevent the body from processing angiotensin II, a hormone that constricts blood vessels.

26 Mar 2010

Colorectal cancer survivor shares her experience

For Hempstead resident Lynette Love, mother of four and grandmother of five, surviving colorectal cancer took courage, diligence and faith. Now a 3-year survivor, Love is giving the love back to the community through her participation in the Sprint for Colorectal Oncology Prevention and Education (SCOPE) run.

25 Mar 2010

Experimental vaccine can help delay IBD and colon cancer

An experimental vaccine against an abnormal protein found in some tumors has the potential to delay the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and in turn prevent progression to colon cancer, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

25 Mar 2010

Virtual biopsy probes to detect precancerous polyps to be available soon

The newest generation of "virtual biopsy" colonoscopy probes being tested at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida demonstrate that it might soon be possible to use such a device to determine whether a colon polyp is benign and not remove it for biopsy. Currently, all colon polyps are extracted during a colonoscopy and sent to a pathologist for examination, which adds time, expense, and some surgical risk, to the procedure.

24 Mar 2010